DGrayMan: Kill or Be Killed
by Evanescent Espirit
Summary: Allen responds to a call for help, but when he arrives, an all-too-familiar face answers the door. Ten people show up, each with their own mysterious message. Something sinister is going on. Will they be able to stop it before it is too late?
1. Unexpected Rendezvous

**I OWN NOTHING... unless you count Mujaki. (My cousin owns the other OC.) That includes the quotes.**

**I apologize in advance for the cheeziness of the first few chapters. I started this story in about September last year, and I'm still writing much later chapters now (so I have "Insurance"!). I PROMISE they'll get better as it goes on.**

**Also, the Italian probably needs to be explained. Two reasons: 1) The Latin didn't really work- the vocabulary was too limited, and 2) I'm completely obsessed with Katekyo Hitman Reborn! right now. Gomennasai. n.n'**

**Two made-ups are involved in this chapter. (There is only one more coming in before the final chapter _waaaaaaaaay_ down the road, so it's not OC-Land) To see them, just contact me on (Derosrabidfangirl) and I'll pm you the images. If anyone knows how to put a link on here, please tell me so I can put those.**

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**_DGM: Ussidere Ovvero Essere Ucciso _**

**Chapter 1: **_**Inatteso Incontrio**_

_**Unexpected Rendezvous .**_

**If God in His wisdom has brought close**

**The day when I must die**

**That day by water or fire or air**

**My feet shall fall in the destined snare**

**Wherever my road may lie.**

_**-D.G. Rossetti**_

Allen looked at the old building in front of him. It was big, dark, and spooky… and reminded him somewhat of Kanda's room in the Black Order's headquarters. He compared the number on the heavy iron gate to the one he had scrawled onto a piece of paper. This was it.

He pushed the gate to see if it was locked. It wasn't. It swung open with a low creak. "Come on, Timcampi." Allen called for the golden golem.

Timcampi rushed back, the wing of what looked like a black butterfly- or moth, taking in the dusky hour- hanging out of his mouth.

The white haired boy walked up to the door of the mansion and pulled on the bell chord. No response. After another try with the same result, he knocked on the heavy oak door.

"Hello? Did anyone send a message for me?"

Allen heard some footsteps, then the door was opened by the curly-haired tramp Allen had played cards with on the train- also known as the Noah, Tyki Mikk, who had tried to destroy his arm.

"Ah! It's you!" They both said, surprised.

"Who is it this time?" an all-too-familiar voice called from inside.

Allen looked around the bespectacled, well-dressed hobo to see who was speaking. "Lavi? What are you doing here?"

"Allen Walker!" Lavi was clearly as surprised as Allen. "Is Panda-face out there, by any chance? He left a note to meet him here, but there's no sign of him yet."

"No…"

The dark haired vagabond moved out of the way. _'This is getting strange, but interesting…'_ He frowned. _'Why are these exorcists showing up? Did he call them, too? I don't think he even knows them… And why is one Allen Walker?'_

Allen walked into the lavishly furnished entrance hall. "Timcampi!" He called behind himself, with no response. "Where are you?" After no sign of Timcampi still, he sighed. _'Vanished again… Oh well. He'll show up eventually.' _"So, who sent the message to me?"

Lavi and Tyki exchanged looks.

"I didn't." the redhead responded.

The Noah shook his head. "Neither did I."

Just then, a younger girl danced lightly down the stairs. "A~llen~3!" She squealed happily as she enveloped him in a hug. It was Road, another Noah.

"Not again…" Tyki raised his hand to his head.

"Tyki, how did you get him to come?" she asked, letting Allen go.

Tyki shook his head. "No, Road, I didn't get him to come. He's here because… because… " he blinked. "Boy! Why are you here?"

"Someone gave Komui a message for me requesting my help. From what I hear, they left it at the gate while the Gatekeeper was asleep…" Allen explained.

Just then, there was a furious banging on the recently-closed door. "OKAY, OPEN UP! NOW WHERE IS IT?!"

Allen, who was still the closest to the door, opened it.

"_Another_ exorcist?" Tyki complained.

"Kanda?!" Allen exclaimed, shocked.

Lavi's eyes went wide. "Yuu?!"

Kanda glared at the other two exorcists. "Beansprout and Lavi. I should have known. Where is Mugen? What did you do with it?!"

Tyki blinked. "Mugen?"

"I didn't touch Mugen! Why would I?" Lavi defended himself. _'If looks could kill…'_

"What's a Mugen?" Road asked Allen.

"His innocence." Allen replied, with Kanda's piercing black eyes glaring into his soul.

Kanda's eyes narrowed, looking at the Noahs. "You filthy bastards helped them, didn't you." It wasn't a question. "I know it's here."

Allen blinked. "Huh?"

"HOW?! WHY?!" Lavi exploded defensively.

Kanda glared at the other two exorcists. "Mugen was missing this morning. I found a message saying it was here. So hand it

over."

Tyki thought for a moment. "Maybe you should come in…" he glanced at the varied group. "I think something's going on."

Still angry – and Mugen-less – Kanda silently walked in. He headed to the living room and sat down.

The rest of the group turned and began to follow him. Siging, Tyki began to close the door.

"Tyki-san~!" a young girl's voice called.

Tyki stiffened, the hair on the back of his neck raising. _'Oh no… not that little horror… anything but that…' _he thought. Turning, he held his face in a plastic-like grin. "Hey, Dakuto. What are you doing here?"

The blonde Noah smiled wider. "Someone put a letter for me in our mailbox. They said I was very special, and if I come here I can get my own puppy."

"Who said you could get a puppy?"

"Hm… Well, I woulda asked you, but you weren't there, so I asked Lulubell-san. She said she didn't care, and then I asked The Earl-san." Dakuto giggled. "He said I could get as many puppies as I want."

Tyki glared at his (Sorta. Basically.) niece.

Dakuto waited, then placed a hand on her thirteen-year-old hip. "Tyki-san. Where's my puppy?"

"There's no puppy here!"

"Yes there is!"

"No there's not!"

"Then where is it?!" Dakuto demanded.

Tyki sighed yet again. "There never was a puppy, Dakuto. Why don't you go back home-"

The blonde heard voices from inside the building, and interrupted her uncle. "Hey, what gives? Is that a party in there? Can I stay?"

"No!"

"… I'll sing for you." Dakuto threatened, her eyes darkening.

Taking a moment to weigh the little Noah annoying him to death, versus her ability as the Laziness of Noah to put him to sleep, slip past him, and _still_ be able to annoy him to death, Tyki sighed and gave in. "Fine." Then he muttered all too soon, "At least Mujaki isn't here."

"That's not nice, Tyki-san." A voice protested from the shadows. The voice was only slightly more masculine than Dakuto's girly one.

Tyki's head snapped to the side, but no one was there. If he looked carefully, however, there was a slight distortion in that direction.

Sighing, he began to scold the boy, as well as Dakuto, for leaving home alone. Then, he noticed some smoke that drifted away from that spot. "… Mujaki. Is that what I think it is? Get over here, _now._ And so I can see you." Tyki had thought the twins, Jasdevi, were bad, but man. This kid had been annoying the whole Clan since his inner Noah had surfaced. His ability was to appear and disappear at will, and not necessarily at once, either.

A boy with long, blue-black hair appeared crouching near the door (within grabbing distance, Tyki noted.). "Is what?"

Once again, Mujaki had one of Tyki's cigarette's hanging out of his mouth. Tyki snatched it out, saying, "Again?! Mujaki, how many times have I told you-"

"I-I can explain!"

"Sure you can."

"It's not yours."

Tyki looked at Mujaki. "Oh? Then whose is it?"

Mujaki thought for a moment. "Okay, it's yours…" he admitted.

The older Noah pulled Mujaki to his feet. "Come here. I need to keep an eye on you."

"Fat chance." Mujaki stuck out his tongue- a habit he had learned from his cousin, Debitto- and vanished. Taking advantage of his invisibleness to Tyki, he tried to snatch away.

"Boy." Tyki demanded. "Stop or I'll break your arm."

Mujaki stilled, knowing his uncle meant the threat.

"Now why don't you behave yourself and make it so you can be seen."

Glumly, Mujaki returned to visibility. "Gosh, Tyki, you're no fun."

Tyki let go of the young Noah, and joined the others in the main room.

Making sure Tyki wasn't watching, Mujaki pulled out another cigarette and lit it with Tyki's lighter, which was also in his pocket.

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**It wasn't too bad, was it? Please tell me what you think.**


	2. More Lambs Flock to the Slaughter

**I have not magically gained ownership of anything. **

**I can't say enough that I love comments. When you read these, _please_ comment. Other than that, I have no idea what to use top author notes for at the moment...**

**Some things, though, will need to be explained, and they'll take the place of bottom authors notes. Okay?**

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**Chapter 2: **_**Di Pi**_**_ù_**_** Pecora Muovere in l**_**_à Macellare_**

_**More Lambs Flock to the Slaughter.**_

**All hope abandon, ye who enter here.**

_**-Dante Alighieri**_

Meanwhile, in the main room, Road was sitting in an embarrassed and awkward Allen's lap. Kanda was in a recliner, angry with the world and all of its inhabitants. Lavi was watching Allen and Road, amused. Dakuto had joined them while Tyki was arguing with Mujaki, and was now sprawled on the floor eating chips she'd found in the kitchen.

Lavi looked up when Tyki walked in. "Any sign of Bookman?" he asked again. At Tyki's annoyed silence, he began to shake his head. "No, okay…" The redhead paused. "Then what took you so long?"

Dakuto snickered. "He found Mujaki."

"Shut up." Tyki told Dakuto. "You two had better behave yourselves. And Road, get off the poor boy."

"No! I love him! He's mine!" Road insisted, throwing her arms around Allen's neck.

"Now where have we seen this before…" Lavi quipped.

Tyki sighed, giving in to Road. "Fine. But leave him alone when he wants you to."

"N-no, she's fine, don't worry…" Allen murmured, his face red.

"Yay!" Road looked back at Tyki. "Hey, if Mujaki's here, then where…?" She trailed off as the smell of cigarette smoke drifted around the room. Someone appeared with the smell in the doorway. "Oh. Hey."

Lavi looked up to see a young Noah. She had small triangles - painted with the same thick black liner that was around her golden eyes – extending from her lower eyelids onto her upper cheeks. Her bottom lip was painted black. She wore her dark-blue, almost black hair in a unique style. The rest of her outfit was a very punk-influenced black and gray ensemble, down to gloves, a spiked collar, knee-high boots and a cigarette in her mouth. On her shirt was half of a pale pink broken heart, the other half being on Dakuto's black-and-pink mini-dress.

"STRIKE!" Lavi said, gawking at the girl.

"What's this dude's problem?" 'the girl' asked, shrinking back somewhat.

Allen sighed. "Lavi does that when he sees a girl he likes." he explained, Road still in his lap.

For some reason, this sent Dakuto, Road, and Tyki howling with laughter. The dark haired Noah girl's normally gray cheeks flushed with a dark pink tint.

"Back off, I'm a guy."

Lavi froze. "G-guy…?" All color drained from his face… Scratch that, his entire body went as white as a sheet, and he

collapsed.

"You deserved that, Mujaki." Tyki laughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. He eyed the cigarette. "How many of those do you have?"

Mujaki blinked. "Uh… Hey, are we staying here tonight?" he abruptly changed the subject.

Suddenly, there was a very loud bang, sounding quite like a door being kicked.

"OW! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!"

"STUPID DOOR! HII!" Another, (slightly) quieter bang was heard.

"Quit that, you'll hurt yourself…" The first voice said again. They then proceeded to bang on the door. "OPEN UP! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"

"OPEN UP OR WE'LL BLOW DOWN THE DOOR!"

"Jasdero-chama!" Dakuto cried, jumping up with an excited glint in her eyes.

Mujaki's face lit up as well. "Debitto-dono!"

The twin cousins***** raced to the door and opened it, tackling the twins standing outside.

"What the-" Debitto managed before being knocked to the ground by Mujaki.

"Jasdero-chama! They're having a party inside!" Dakuto said. "Tyki-san says its not a party, but I think it is."

Mujaki jumped up and helped Debitto to his feet. "Are you two staying?" he asked excitedly.

"Who else is here, hii?" Jasdero asked Dakuto.

"Tyki-san, Road, Road's exorcist, a mean exorcist…. Oh! And a red haired exorcist who thought Mujaki was a girl!" Dakuto cackled at the memory.

"Shut up." Mujaki hissed, his face reddening.

"Red hair? Exorcist?" Debitto said, putting two and two together. As we all know, to the twins, _everything_ equals five.

"It's CROSS!" Jasdero shouted. Yup. 5.

"Cross is here!" Debitto and Jasdero immediately ran through the door and into the room whwere everyone else was, aiming their golden revolvers around the room.

Silence echoed in the room as all eyes turned to the twins.

Allen's face lost its color, and he sighed as his eyes went vacant. "Master…. debt…. massive debts….."

"They never said anything about debt this time!" Road protested, hugging Allen's neck.

"Shut it, hii!"

"Keep your mouth shut or we'll blow your head off!" snarled Debitto.

Road blinked.

"Now where is he? Don't make us search the whole house!"

"Uh, who's Cross?" Mujaki whispered to Dakuto, who shrugged.

"He's not here." Lavi said bluntly.

"YES HE IS!" the twins shouted in unison.

Tyki rolled his eyes. "Search all you want. He's not here."

"Then who's the red haired exorcist Dakuto told us about?" Debitto challenged.

"Yeah, hii hii! Who?" Jasdero backed up his twin.

That was about when they saw Lavi. And yes, he had spoken to them already.

"Eh…" Lavi half smiled, with an exasperated look in his eye. "Slight misunderstanding…"

"Um, hello? Is this where Allen is?" a girl's voice asked from the still open door.

"Lenalee?" Allen called from the couch.

"Oh! You are here! Good!" Lenalee smiled. "Niisan told me you were here. I thought I should warn you to be extra careful with your innocence…." The girl's large eyes glanced over the many Noah in the room distrustingly.

Allen looked confused. "Okay…. Komuis already said that several times."

Road, meanwhile, tightened her grip on Allen just in case this exorcist girl got any ideas.

"He created a new model of Komu-rin******." Allen and Lavi paled, and Kanda's eye twitched. Lenalee explained, "He wants to test

it on you, since your innocence gets damaged a lot."

Tyki snorted. After all, he had nearly destroyed Allen – along with the boy's innocence – at one point.

Lenaleee looked over the six Noah warily. "Why are so many of you here?" She wasn't truly expecting a response.

"Different reasons. I wanted a puppy!" Dakuto chimed, grinning. She shot a brief accusing look at Tyki.

"Cross, hii!" Jasdero answered loudly.

"Yeah. We came for Cross! Just wait till I get my hands on him…!" Debitto said angrily.

"I was supposed to meet… a friend." Tyki responded somewhat evasively.

"I came with Tyki because his friend wanted to meet me~." Road smiled.

Mujaki smiled too. "I came because I was bored, and wanted to see Dakuto's puppy."

"Why are you exorcists here?" Tyki turned the question around.

Kanda's answer came with a glare. "I was told that you thieves," he shot the word at Allen. "Had hidden Mugen here."

"Bookman was supposed to be here."

"Komui said that someone had sent in a plea for help."

Lenalee blinked. "Um, not to intrude, but can I come in?" In all of the questioning, they had left the girl standing outside in the

dark.

"Sure!" Lavi responded a little too enthusiastically.

She closed the door behind her, just as the last of the sun disappeared over the horizon.

It closed with an ominous thud.

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***TWIN COUSINS**: Dakuto and Mujaki, biologically, are cousins. However, they were born on the same day at almost the same time. Dakuto was born a few minutes before Mujaki.

****KOMU-RIN**: The Japanese, and my favorite, translation of the robot Komlin.


	3. Locks

**As of yet, I still own nothing and most likely never will. **

**Please comment when you read! Thank you!**

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**Chapter 3:**_** Serratura**_

_**Locks**_

"**The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut."**

_**-J.R.R. Tolkien**_

After sitting in that room for about an hour, Mujaki and Dakuto were getting restless. Jasdero and Debitto had finally finished searching the house, and finally admitted that Cross wasn't there.

"Stupid Cross!" Jasdero complained.

Debitto angrily stalked to the door. "We're leaving!" He began to kick the door, but stopped, remembering how sturdy the door was. So, he simply reached for the knob.

Seconds later, Jasdero joined him in trying to open the door. Loud cursing from the dark haired twin echoed through the house.

Mujaki popped up in the entrance hall. "What's wrong, Debitto-dono?"

"The damned door won't open!"

"And it's not locked, hii!"

"The door won't open?" Tyki blinked, overhearing from the other room. He stiffened.

Lavi jumped to his feet. "What?!"

Allen stood, and Road – who had let go of him much earlier – stood beside him. "Why not?" he asked rhetorically.

One by one, all ten people – yes, even Kanda – tried the door, in various combinations. None could get it to budge.

"What's the deal?!" Debitto was irritated.

No one had an answer.

Tyki laid his hand on the door. "And I can't go through it. What's going on here?"

Similar question, same response.

"Well, guess we'll just have to stay the night." Dakuto shrugged. She bounced back into the kitchen, where she could be heard rummaging through the cabinets.

Mujaki dashed upstairs, but then came down grumpily. "There's only four rooms…" he complained.

Allen blinked, then made a quick head count. Ten. With three girls. "Uh… someone could sleep on the couch…" he suggested.

"Okay!" Mujaki and Dakuto chimed. The girl had apparently been listening in on them.

Mujaki ran and cannonballed onto the couch. "I call the couch!" As an after thought, he added, "Dakuto, you can sleep in the

chair."

The blonde Noah walked into the livingroom, a half-eaten candy bar in her hand. She glared at her cousin. "Mujaki! Since I'm a

girl, I should get the couch! You take the chair!"

Laughing, Mujaki launched himself at Dakuto. "I'm the Envy of Noah. If you got the couch, I'd Envy you, and no telling what a

slow and painful death you'd have…." He put on his best evil face, trying not to laugh.

Lenalee, who was still in the other room, paled. "Are they always like this?"

"Like what?" Tyki blinked.

"Like threatening each other with a slow and painful death." Lavi filled in.

Road thought for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah."

Mujaki and Dakuto continued playfully bickering over who should get the couch, and who should get stuck with the less-

comfortable chair.

The others, meanwhile, returned their attention to the problem at hand. "So…." Lavi began. "Four rooms, and eight of us now."

"I'm not sharing a room with any of you, not even for one night." Kanda headed up the stairs.

"Well, that makes four with seven." the redhead counted.

"How about you girls have one room?" Allen suggested, looking at Road and Lenalee. _'To avoid anything…. awkward…'_ he added silently.

Road looked slightly disappointed, but then brightened. "It'll be like a slumber party!"

Lenalee smiled, though she was a little uncertain about sharing a room with a Noah. "I guess that's fine. It does sound kind of

fun."

The twins aimed their guns at Allen's head. "Disciple! We want our pick of the rooms!" Debitto ordered.

"Yeah! The best room, hii!" Jasdero echoed.

Allen blinked. "Um, those things still aren't loaded, right?"

"Blue bomb!" the two shouted in reply.

"Don't make us shoot!"

"Fine! You can choose your room! Don't shoot!" The white haired exorcist waved his hands in front of his face.

"Don't kill my Allen!" Road tackled… er, sort of tackle_glomped _Debitto, who lost his balance and knocked Jasdero to the

ground as well.

Obviously, that didn't go over well.

"What's the big idea, Road?! You want us to kill you too?!"

"Twins." Tyki said. "Just go pick a room. And give me those guns so you don't kill any one!"

Jasdevi, of course, only followed half of that. They loudly disappeared at the top of the stairs.

Tyki shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Lenalee looked at the three guys. "So I guess that leaves you three in the last one."


	4. Leisure

**If this chapter title translation isn't quite right, gomennasai. It's the best the dictionary showed me. **

**Oh yeah. I own nothing. Saying that over and over makes me feel like a hobo...**

**I promise, there is plot at the end of this chapter. Its not just 'Blah.' And I really do want to see those movies.... -thinks.-**

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**Chapter 4: _Libero_**

_**Leisure**_

**A little while with grief and laughter,**

**And then the day will close;**

**The shadows gather…**

**What comes after, no man knows.**

_**-Donald R. P. Marquisi**_

Later, everyone but Kanda was back in the living room. Dakuto and Mujaki had proposed that everyone watch a movie*****.

"So, what are we going to watch?" Lenalee asked the children. She was finding them surprisingly…. likeable. Actually, she felt

that way towards all of the Noah. _'Why do we have to be enemies?'_ she asked herself. _'They're just as human as we are.'_

"Hmmm…" Mujaki looked over the movies. "Aw, these people suck!"

"Why?" Tyki asked. "They only have cheesy old reruns of Power Rangers?"

"No!" Dakuto complained. "They have like, fifty copies of _The Exorcist _!"

Mujaki continued. "Why that one, out of all the movies in the world? Of course it would have to be a movie about some stupid exor-" The dark haired boy froze, blinking. "Oops! I forgot…." His face flushed slightly in embarrassment, remembering half of the people there were exorcists.

Debitto laughed. "Stupid exorcists." He made a "Nyah" face at Allen and Lavi.

"Stupid Cross!" Jasdero added.

Allen shot a glare at the twin Noahs. "How did my master get into this?"

Road shook her head. "No, don't ask. Don't get them started."

Mujaki pulled out another movie. "He-ey… How about this one?" He pulled out the_ Titanic._

"Oh, nononono!" Tyki said quickly, snatching the movie away. "Let's wait until you're older…"

"Let's watch this one, then!" the boy pulled out _DEATHNOTE II: the Last Name. _

"Why not?" Lenalee agreed.

"Hope this'll be interesting." Debitto grumbled as he flopped onto the couch.

Jasdero followed suit. "Road! Get popcorn, hii!" He ordered his cousin.

"Get it yourself!"

All of the Noah – besides Jasdero, of course – paled. A sense of foreboding hung in the air.

Jasdero frowned, but got up and disappeared into the kitchen.

"That can't be good." Tyki muttered.

"Let's watch the movie!" Dakuto suggested brightly. The thirteen year old dashed to the TV and put in the movie.

Mujaki sat next to Debitto on the couch.

As they all took their seats and started the movie, a burnt smell filled the house.

"What…" Allen began.

"EEK! IT'S ON FIRE!" Jasdero shrieked.

Debitto shot off of the couch as if it were on fire and into the kitchen. "Jasdero! Your gun! Blue bomb! BLUE BOMB DAMMIT!"

Lenalee blinked. "Which one was that?"

"Debitto-dono?" Mujaki replied, somewhat confused.

"No, the blue bomb. What does that one do?"

Allen touched the spot on his arm where he'd been hit the last time he met Jasdevi. "Ice."

There were a few more gunshots – one of them followed by a barrage of popping – and the twins returned carrying two huge

bowls heaped with buttery goodness.

"Don't trip… dear _God_ don't trip…" Tyki murmured into his hand, closing his eyes.

Miraculously, they didn't, and the ragtag group began the movie.

A hour or so****** and a movie later, the still-eager Mujaki was swapping out the movie for another one – _DEATHNOTE: __L__, Change the Wor__L__d. _The movie had been quite entertaining, except for that self-centered, justice-obsessed freak. What was his name? Light?

Suddenly, from upstairs came some banging, followed by a thud.

"What was that?" Lenalee exclaimed. All of the others made similar remarks.

"Maybe Yu tripped." quipped Lavi.

The group shared a laugh as the next film began, then quieted down.

Two hours**** **passed, and the movie was over.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Dakuto shouted enthusiastically. "I LOVE that L guy!"

"Oh yeah! I found the good movies!" Mujaki and his cousin shared a high-five, then stifled a yawn.

Yawns, contagious as they are, passed through the entire crew. They tend to do that. "Well…" Tyki said, looking at a clock on the wall. "This Exorcist/Noah slumber party's been fun, but now it's time for bed, kids."

"Hey! Jasdevi isn't sleepy, hii!" Jasdero sat bolt upright. This effectively shoved his elbow in Debitto's face.

"Watch it, Jas!" Debitto shoved his brother off of him and onto the floor. "But he's right! We aren't tired at all, hobo!"

"Juvenile delinquents." Tyki responded, unphased. "But I think we had all better get some rest so we can figure out how to get out of here tomorrow. It's after midnight*******."

"But…" Mujaki yawned. "I'm not tired, either!"

"Me either!" Dakuto protested, her eyelids looking heavy.

Road looked at the two. "Jasdevi's going to bed, too, you know."

"WHAT?!"

"Aw…" The cousins looked disappointed. "Fine."

With some coaxing, Tyki and Road managed to convince the other four Noah to go to 'sleep'********

Meanwhile, the exorcists were trying to come up with a plan. Which wasn't working well.

"What is this, even?" Allen asked. "How can we escape if we don't even know why we can't get out?"

Lenalee pondered for a moment. "It's almost like in the rewinding town. You can enter, but you can't leave."

"But Tyki was able to go outside before you came." Lavi said. He shook his head. "We can't rule out the possibility of Innocence, either. Who would be the accommodator, I have no idea. The tribe of Bookman has nothing like this on record."

"There has to be some way, though!" Lenalee insisted.

"Maybe," Allen began. "It's like in those horror movies, when you can't get out during the-"

"Night, Allen~ 3 !" Road glomped Allen from behind, then flitted up the stairs.

"W-what was…?" Allen mumbled in confusion.

Tyki joined them. "Her way of showing affection. Let's go into another room, and continue that conversation you were just having." He looked sternly at the two pairs of golden eyes staring at him over the edge of the sofa. "Go to bed!"

Mujaki and Dakuto ducked, then restarted their previous argument over who would sleep where.

Tyki rolled his eyes. "Come on." The four headed upstairs to the room he, Allen, and Lavi were going to share.

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**There are a lot of endnotes this time, aren't there? n.n'' Gomennasai.**

***WATCH A MOVIE:** I don't care if they don't have movies. Naruto screwed around with the time and all, I figure I can screw up my own roleplay if I want to.

****TWO HOURS:** I don't know how long the movies are, I just put two hours for convenience.

*****AFTER MIDNIGHT: **Once again, for convenience. If the hours don't work out right… The dragonfly was carrying the extra hours, and too bad, cuz my baby Wonderweiss ate it.

******THE OTHERS GO TO SLEEP: **Why is this even an endnote? Oh well. Road is trying to convince the others because she will go to sleep without having to be persuaded.


	5. The Plot Thickens

… **I think the chapters are getting shorter… Gomen. But I break at good cliffies, so it doesn't really matter, does it?**

**Gomennasai for the lame title. I couldn't come up with anything better. Now I see (the villain that hasn't come in yet) twirling a curly black moustache that he doesn't have. =.='''**

**I own zip.**

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**Chapter 5: _La Faccenda si Complica_**

_**The Plot Thickens**_

**As men, we are all equal in the presence of death.**

**- Publius Syrus**

After an hour, all the group had done was rule out a few things, and confirm that Tyki's ability worked on them and anything they had brought, but nothing from the house.

"Road is good with weird stuff like this, isn't she?" Lavi asked Tyki. "Go wake her up."

"But Lavi, she's still practically a child. We can talk to her tomorrow." Lenalee protested. Stifling a yawn, she half-laughed. "Well, I think we better go on and get some sleep, too."

"Probably." Tyki agreed, somewhat reluctantly. He walked to the door. "And I better check on those two downstairs and make sure their silence is them sleeping and not plotting to kill us all." he muttered, only half joking.

"I'll go." Lenalee volunteered.

The three men blinked, surprised.

"Ah, sure… okay…"

Allen smiled thoughtfully. '_This is almost like a dream. The gaps between Noah and exorcist are being bridged faster than anyone would have thought possible.'_

Lenalee walked down the stairs quietly, carrying a candle in her hand. She walked into the living room and smiled.

Laying on the couch was Dakuto, curled into a fetal position with her hands curled up and tucked under her chin. Mujaki was curled up around her, almost protectively. He looked like he had squeezed between the couch and Dakuto's back. His head was resting on her shoulder, and one arm draped across her and off of the couch.

"Aww…." Lenalee whispered, her gaze softening. She found herself looking past the gray skin, holy marks, and the eyes she knew would be golden if opened. She found herself looking at her enemies as people. As children. _'They look like little puppies, curled up like that.'_

The dark haired exorcist snuck back up the stairs, trying to be quiet so as not to awaken the two sleeping Noah. She didn't notice the shadow that moved at the foot of the stairs when she passed, or the knife that flew behind her, close enough that it barely missed her neck and sliced off several strands of her nearly shoulder length hair. The knife thudded into the wall, the sound masked by a creaky step on the stairs.

Lenalee soon reached the room she and Road were to share. She went in and closed the door behind her, blowing out the candle.

Moments after Lenalee's breathing slowed and evened out, Jasdero woke up. He tossed and turned for several minutes, or at least long enough to bother his brother.

Debitto groaned, then shoved Jasdero very hard. Hard enough to make the blonde tumble out of bed.

"YEEP!" Dero squeaked as he hit the hard floor. He peeked over the edge of the bed, and found that his twin was still asleep.

Restless, Jasdero stood and left the room, wandering the empty hall. He wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen. As he passed through the living room, Dakuto stirred.

Jasdero began to rummage through a cabinet for a glass to get some water. He attempted to be quiet, but, as usual, failed miserably.

In the living room, Dakuto's eyes blinked open at the sound of the cabinet. "Mm…" she rubbed her eye. The blonde's gaze wandered to the kitchen, and saw a shadow go in. "Jasdero-sama?" she asked sleepily.

Hearing his name, Jasdero turned around. "Daku~?" His eyes widened at the unfamiliar person. "Who are you?"

The shadowed person smirked, and held up a hand. In it materialized a gun not unlike the ones the twins carry around. "Fitting." He murmured, his smirk growing. He pressed forward, and Jasdero backed up until he was pinned against the counter.

"W-what do you want, hii?" Jasdero asked, his voice trembling.

"Hn." The person half laughed. They pressed the cold end of the golden revolver to Jasdero's stitched lips, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

**See? Cliffie~.**

***Sniff* Poor Dero… he was my favorite character… **

**;.;**

**And I was right. P: The chapters are getting shorter. Don't worry, though. I've written up to like, chapter 13 already. Insurance!**


	6. Pain of the Heart

**Mujaki is so sweet when he's acting mature for Dakuto…. Aw…. ;.;**

**And I love the belated brotherly moments…**

**I now feel depressed. TT^TT To think this is only the beginning.**

**I don't own it. **

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**Chapter 6: _Sofferenza della Cuore_**

_**Pain of the Heart**_

**Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.**

_**-John Donne**_

Tyki sat bolt upright in the chair. Had he really just heard gunshots? He reached up and touched his eye. It was wet.

_Blam! Blam! Blam!_

He leaped off the chair and ran out into the hallway. "Twins! What are you doing?!" He yelled. Lavi and Allen ran out immediately after him. Lenalee, Road, and Debitto all rushed out of their rooms.

"Jasdero! Where are you?" Debitto called, looking around the hallway.

"What's going on?" Lenalee asked.

"Allen, are you okay?!" Road glomped Allen.

Allen fell under the girl's attack. "Guh…!"

"What was that sound?" Lavi asked. "Those weren't gunshots, were they?"

"Where is Jasdero?!"

Suddenly, screams came from downstairs. The group paused in silence for a fraction of a second, then they all ran at full speed downstairs.

Dakuto and Mujaki had woken up immediately and completely on the first gunshot. They heard the thud of a body slipping to the floor, and exchanged wide eyed glances.

The girl leaped off of the couch and ran into the kitchen, her heart in her throat. She froze in horror of what she saw.

Deep red flowers of blood bloomed all over the ceiling, floor, and one wall. The body recognizable as Jasdero's only by the punk clothes and blonde hair - now matted with blood and gore - was sprawled on the floor and leaning limply against the bottom of the cabinets.

Dakuto began to scream, terror coursing through her body like electricity. _'Blood…blood…blood…!' _"Jasdero-sama!!" she shrieked.

Mujaki ran in behind her, and took the full brunt of the scene. "My God…" the thirteen year old whispered, horrified. Already formed tears fell down his face. The young Noah grabbed his cousin's shoulders. "Dakuto… Dakuto, listen to me! Stop screaming and look at me!" Mujaki was trembling, and his mind already felt numbed by shock.

Dakuto stopped screaming, but kept looking back at her role model and whimpering, blackened tears cascading down her cheeks.

"This… this is just a… just a dream, okay?" he said, his voice quivering.

"What's wrong?" Tyki ran into the room and hit the light switch*, exposing the scene in all of its gory glory. His eyes widened, and he immediately spun around. "Don't let Debitto in! Keep him out of here!"

Allen, Lenalee, Road, and Lavi complied.

"Why can't I?! Let me in! Where is my brother?" Debitto shouted.

"Let us through." Tyki ordered the other four, herding the two tear streaked Noah out of the kitchen and closing the door behind him.

Lenalee dropped to her knees. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Mujaki nodded, his arm wrapped around Dakuto. "Mostly… yeah." His feminine voice still shook.

Dakuto closed her eyes and shuddered again, laying her head on her cousin's thin chest.

"Are you hurt?" Road asked the two, dropping beside Lenalee and laying her hand on Mujaki's shoulder.

The boy shook his head, still shaken, but Dakuto nodded.

"Where?"

Dakuto put her hand to her chest, her lip quivering. "R-right here… M… my heart…" She began sobbing again.

Debitto felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, all too aware of the paths of tears on his face. "What's wrong with them? Let me in there!" he tried to shoulder past Tyki, Allen, and Lavi.

"Where are Yu and Jasdero?" Lavi asked, noticing that they weren't there.

Tyki sucked in his breath and froze, earning a concerned look from his niece.

Dakuto just melted. She began sobbing harder, and sank to the floor, pulling away from Mujaki and putting her face in her hands. "Jasdero-sama…. Jasdero-sama…" she moaned, rocking slightly.

Mujaki felt something in his chest wanting to burst into pieces. Unable to keep it in, he fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around the nearest neck – Lenalee's. He was trying to hold back the sobs, and cried silently. _'I have to be strong for Daku-chan…'_ he thought. And he tried, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

Debitto looked at the two's reaction, then felt fear- no, fear isn't the word for it – searing, white hot _terror_ coursing through him. He kicked Tyki's shin, gave Allen an elbow in the gut, and broke free of Lavi's grip. He ran into the kitchen, and froze.

"No…" Debitto breathed. He ran to his brother's side and dropped to his knees. "No, no, no!" He put his hands on the ground to steady himself, but immediately held his hands up in front of his face, staring wide-eyed at the blood painting his gray palms and fingers. He slowly raised his dazed eyes from his shaking hands to the body lying limp before him.

"Jasdero… please…" Debitto reached out a hesitant hand and touched his brother's neck, as if checking for a pulse that obviously wasn't there. The delinquent brushed away the fresh tears that came to his eyes, leaving a smudge of black makeup and crimson blood, but gave up for the torrents that followed. He choked back a sob as his resolve broke. He shifted his weight to his knees and wrapped his arms around Jasdero's limp corpse in a final embrace. "You _can't_ be dead! You can't! Together we are Jasdebi!" Debitto murmured earnestly, feeling the lump in his throat as he spoke. "Together… but alone, I am nothing! I'm not even a whole person…" Debitto whispered.

Road walked up behind Debitto and reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. She had tear streaks down her face too, as did Tyki – and, presumably, the Noah's back home. She hesitated, however, and pulled her hand away at the last second, changing her mind.

"All of the cruel things I've said to you… You never did any of that back. All of my crazy schemes, you just went along with enthusiastically. I never told you how much you meant to me, even though you are me. I'm… so sorry…" Debitto's voice was barely audible.

Allen looked on, biting his lip. _'The Noah Family isn't really any different than us. They aren't cruel, emotionless humans controlled by the Earl… They really do feel love and pain…' _

Tyki scooped up the girl curled up broken-hearted on the floor. "Dakuto, it'll be okay." He was about to tell her not to get her black tears on his shirt, but deemed it too heartless.

"I-I don't think so…" she sniffed, wiping her nose on her hand.

Mujaki lifted his head from the still startled Lenalee's shoulder, forcing his breathing to even out. "Debitto-dono…" he muttered barely audibly. He released Lenalee and walked over to him, trying not to look at the carnage.

"Debitto-dono?" the thirteen-year-old placed his hand gently and sympathetically on Debitto's shoulder.

Immediately, without turning, Debitto shot his hand out and hit Mujaki in the face.

The boy staggered back from the blow, holding a hand to his bleeding nose and lip. "W-what…?" Mujaki looked wide eyed at the person he looked up to the most in the world.

"Debitto!" Road exclaimed, shocked.

Mujaki's lip quivered, and new tears began flowing in nearly normal-colored rivers down his cheeks. He covered his face with his arm, then ran out of the room.

"Kid, wait!" Lavi called, trying to stop Mujaki, who just shouldered past and stumbled up the stairs.

Lenalee turned towards Debitto angrily. "What did you do that for?! I was wrong before; you aren't a brat, you're a jerk! Just because your brother just died doesn't mean you can go beat up on little kids! He cares about you, you know, and look what you did!"

"Shut up." Debitto growled. He gently laid down Jasdero's corpse, then turned and shot a death glare at Lenalee. "You have no idea what you are talking about." he hissed, fire in his eyes.

Allen cleared his throat. "I know this is a hard time, but this is really important. What exactly happened to him? He couldn't have shot himself because there's no gun, but who did it?"

A cold silence filled the room, as they all looked around. Tension mounted as the Noah's regarded the exorcists with suspicion.

"I can clear our names." Allen continued. "All of us except the children were upstairs when we heard the gunshots."

Dakuto whimpered again, and Tyki nodded reluctantly. "I have to give you that. But…" he looked at Dakuto, who was about to pass out from exhaustion – emotionally as well as physically.

"She wouldn't do it. She couldn't." Road said certainly. "Dakuto idolizes… idolized… Jasdero."

"But the boy could have. I think he took the death of his cousin comparatively well, sorry to say." Allen said softly.

Lavi looked like he was thinking.

"But he was crying!" Lenalee protested.

"If he's the only suspect… That doesn't mean anything. Noah was crying. It may have been _only_ Noah crying, and not Mujaki at all." Debitto muttered bitterly. "He _is_ the Envy of Noah after all. Since he likes me so much, what if he began to envy the bond Jasdero and I had?"

Lavi cleared his throat. "Not to jump to conclusions – you already seem to have done that anyways – but Mujaki's not the only suspect. When was the last time any of us saw Yu?"

"Who? The grumpy guy with an attitude?" Tyki asked.

Allen nodded stiffly, seeing Lavi's point.

"He does make much more sense as the culprit than Mujaki," Lenalee allowed. "But I wouldn't think he would…" she hung her head. "It probably was him. He most likely sees this as a chance to eliminate some enemies."

Debitto's golden eyes were sharp and burned with anger. "I don't care _who_ did it, whether it was this 'Yu', Mujaki, Cross, or the Earl his fucking_ self_. I _will _kill them, and anyone who tries to stop me." He touched the back of Jasdero's cooling hand. "_I promise._" The last words were barely an intense whisper.

"Last time I saw Kanda, he was going to his room when we were watching that movie." Allen offered, reluctant to 'betray' his comrade.

"Then he's probably there now." Debitto turned away from his brother and stormed up the stairs.

**

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**

ANGSTY, much? ;.; It makes me all depressed.

**I know this is kind of mean, but I love the line where Debitto says, "I don't care who did it, whether its this 'Yu', Mujaki, Cross, or the Earl his fucking self." I can't help it.**

**Poor Mujaki. For getting hit and for his being 'strong for Daku-chan' making him a suspect**

**This is my longest chapter yet, people, so be happy! And I'm uploading another at the same time!**


	7. A New Face

**Yes, yes, this is not a very long chapter. Hopefully, it's long enough that I won't get death-threats... I'm uploading it at the same time as some others, so don't kill me. The next several are shorter. I'll try and make the ones I'm actually writing **_**now**_** be longer than these are tending to be. But, anyways, there are some stories that three chapters are the same length as one of mine. That's my excuse.**

**Don't worry, this story is going to be done **_**da capo al fine**_**, from the beginning to the finish. I started writing it in September, and its still going. And wow, I only uploaded the first chapter last Sunday. O.o People are screaming for the next chapter. I guess that's good, though… So please keep reading, despite the emo-ness in the chapters to come.**

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Chapter 7: _La Nuevo Faccia_

**A New Face**

**A face devoid of love or grace  
A hateful, hard, successful face,  
A face with which a stone  
Would feel as thoroughly at ease  
As were they old acquaintances-  
First time together thrown.**

**-**_**Emily Dickinson**_

Debitto kicked the door open, knocking it off of one of its hinges. "What the hell did-" he cut off, his anger being masked by surprise at the scene laid out before him. The sharp stench of blood was overpowering.

Kanda's body lay on the floor, a sword piercing his chest with the tip barely visible protruding from his back. Blood was pooled around him, and his clouded black eyes stared at nothing.

Debitto just stood there staring, and then turned to the others who were just getting there.

"What is it?" Allen asked, concerned by the dumbfounded expression on Debitto's face.

When Debitto found his voice, he replied, "It… well, it wasn't him."

"How do you know?!"

Debitto turned back to the room, hearing a sound.

Standing over the body was a teenager clad in black and green. His long bangs and hat obscured his pale face, and his messy hair was just barely past chin length. A skull on the back of his single glove – along with the two others that adorned his thigh-length jacket – added to his sinister appearance and dark atmosphere. On his wrists he wore thick spiked cuffs, and a long chain connected them behind him.

The person placed his ungloved left hand on Mugen and pulled it out. Drying blood oozed slowly from the wound. He licked some of the drying blood off the end of the blade*, smirking at Debitto. "This game just gets better and better." His voice was eerie, with very dark and sinister tones. The boy leaned the dull side of the blade on his shoulder, and mockingly saluted those who had frozen in the doorway. "Later, Bond and Exorcists." He turned and walked, vanishing into the wall and cackling maniacally as he went.

"… You two saw that too, right?" Lavi asked Allen and Debitto.

Allen walked over to Kanda's body and felt for a pulse. "He's cold." The white haired exorcist grimaced.

"So he's been… dead… awhile?" Debitto guessed. "Jasdero wasn't the first, then." His voice sounded somewhat strained.

Lavi nodded grimly. "Probably when we thought he fell…" He reached over and closed the fallen exorcist's eyes. "Is this twisted or what?"

Allen sighed. "Earlier I'd thought this was like a dream because of us enemies," he looked pointedly at Debitto, "Coexisting and cooperating. But now… now it seems more like a nightmare." The fifteen year old shook his head. "It makes you wonder who's next."

An ominous silence hung over them for a moment, to be broken by Lavi. "The sword that guy had – it was Mugen."

"Didn't Kanda say he came here Mugen?" Allen remembered.

"I have no clue." Debitto interrupted. "But the green guy… He's the one that killed Jasdero, isn't he?" Anger began to show on his face and in his voice.

"It seems so." Lavi replied. "We need to tell the others." He bent down and picked up Kanda's limp body.

Meanwhile, downstairs, the other three were comforting Dakuto. "You'll be alright." Tyki whispered to the girl he was still cradling.

Road laid her hand on Dakuto's shoulder. "Dakuto, come on. It's late. You can share a room with me and Lenalee, okay?" She cast a questioning look to Lenalee, who nodded.

"I'll go check on Mujaki." Lenalee offered. She stood and walked to the stairs, but stopped and froze when she saw the three seeing the body Lavi was carrying over his shoulder.

"Tyki!" Debitto called. "You should come here."

Tyki sat Dakuto back down on the couch, then went into the other room. He stopped, surprised to see Kanda. "What…?"

"Someone's killing us. He started with that exorcist, then that monster took my brother." Anger, poorly masking pain and sorrow, filled Debitto's features.

"Oh no…" Lenalee shook her head and covered her mouth, eyes brimming with tears. "I-I wasn't really close to Kanda – no one was – but I never thought…" Her voice faltered, and she took a deep breath.

Allen nodded. "Yeah. He hated me, but he still saved my life in the past. He was a good guy." He paused. "At least now his name's cleared."

Lavi grunted. "He's heavy, too, so where should I put him? Not trying to be rude or anything."

**

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**

Enter Aleister! I did not come up with his appearance, I found a random picture on Photobucket, and it was already named "Aleister J. Kro," so I just used that since it worked so well. And here he is. Once again, if you want to see a picture of him, pm me on Gaia: Derosrabidfangirl is my username.

***I'm sorry, I just have to share this story. I have the original of this description on notebook paper, and one of my friends (who thinks anime and manga is just 'ink' but would still put up with my ramblings) was reading the description. Walking down a hall in a middle school, right after lunch when everyone's going crazy, she's reading it. She gets to this line, then shouts (out loud) "WHO WOULD LICK SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" Several people stared at her, but decided not to ask. The funny thing is: she's the student council president, or was when this happened. She was so embarrassed! It was hilarious.**


	8. Blood, Angst, and Hate

**I don't really have much to say except please review. Um, those who haven't read all the way through (There have to be some people doing that, because it doesn't make sense for Ch. 4 to have 45 hits, Ch. 5 to have 49, Ch. 6 to have 22, and Ch. 7 to have 24. Actual numbers as of this morning.) should really do so, I think, so that you know what's going on. **

**It just hit me, this chapter is mainly about two OC's. Yeah, you really SHOULD read before this in order to get who's who.**

**Gomennasai if you don't like having the OC's in here. My brother saw drawings of Dakuto, Mujaki, and another DGM OC who's not in this story, and actually asked me which book they're in. No kidding. So I talk about their interactions to 'real' characters a lot, and can't help but be attached to them. They aren't godmods or Mary/Gary Sues, I can promise you that much. I really should shut up now; so much for not having much to say.**

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**Chapter 8: _Sangue, Angoscia, e Odio_**

**Blood, Angst, and Hate**

**The pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body.**

**-_Syrus_**

Mujaki was curled up in the corner, hidden behind a dresser and one-foot-tall trashcan, in Jasdero and Debitto's room. His bony shoulders shook as he cried silently.

'_Debitto-dono doesn't want me. He doesn't like me. What did I do?'_ His eyes, when open, were wide with shock. By now his lip and nose had stopped bleeding.

"What's wrong, little one?" A soft voice whispered in the young Noah's ear, filled with what may even have been empathy.

"Debitto-dono hates me…" Mujaki murmured haltingly, his eyes closed and forehead resting on his knees.

"I know what it's like to be scorned and mistreated." Mujaki looked to his side to see a teenager a little older than Debitto crouching on the other side of the tiny trashcan. The stranger's blue eyes looked sad. His face was framed by straight yet unruly chin-length black hair. He wore a black hat that had holes in the brim, along with a thin and limp black feather shoved into a thin black ribbon. Centered directly under his eyes surrounded by ash-colored eyeliner and nearly bruise-colored eye shadow was a black mark, shaped almost like a tear.

Mujaki furrowed his brow. "Who are you?"

The stranger's eyes softened somewhat as he smiled and tilted his head, slightly jingling the complex chain piercings in his right ear. "Aleister Kro."

His gaze hardened immediately, though. "Let me give you some advice, _Noah_. Never, _ever_ trust anyone but yourself. People are vile, worthless creatures who won't hesitate to stab you in the back." Aleister glared at Mujaki, his crystalline blue eyes now icy. "No one likes any of you Noahs. Your precious Debitto-_dono_," he spat the title, "wishes you were dead instead of his brother. He would trade the two of you any day." Aleister leaned closer, his mouth next to Mujaki's stunned ear, and whispered, "You remember the hatred for you he had in his eyes when he hit you."

Mujaki's head shot around to look at Aleister. Tears were flowing once more down his gray cheeks from his wide – and pained – eyes.

Aleister's cold blue eyes glinted cruelly. "I've sworn to erase all of the Noah Clan, along with those wretched, turncoat exorcists." he spat. "Pull out the thing strapped to your left leg."

The broken hearted Mujaki complied without hesitation or question. Loss prompts you to do things you wouldn't normally do; loss like Jasdero's death, and the 'death' of the Debitto he thought he knew. He reached to his left calf and pulled the slim pocketknife from its soft leather case. Tears streamed endlessly from his eyes. Without being told, the thirteen-year-old pulled out the sharp blade.

"No one wants you. Debitto would rather you be dead than Jasdero. You can't make his brother come back, but you can do him one last, undeserved service of loyalty and do your half to make him happy, right?" coaxed Aleister.

Mujaki dropped his head, his eyes shadowed. The flow of tears had all but stopped with his resolve. He held his arm out and tilted his hand back, tensing the soft gray skin over his wrist. Without hesitation, he raised the knife. He barely winced as the razor sharp blade pierced his skin and crimson blood welled around the knife's tip. He took a shaky breath and closed his eyes.

After catching a drop of blood on his finger and licking it off, the green and black clad teenager stood. He left, the chain connecting his wrists clicking softly as he vanished through the opposite wall.

'_Everything will be better without me. I can make Debitto-dono happy again…'_

The door flung open. "Mujaki? Are you in here?" Lenalee called, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Go away." Mujaki demanded monotonously.

Lenalee, hearing his voice, ran into the room. "Oh, Mujaki, we've all been looking everywhere for you!" She exclaimed, relief filling her voice. Then she saw Mujaki's bleeding wrist, the knife still in – he had only to drag it across – and his tearstained face. The exorcist gasped and ran to him, removing the knife from the wound and snatching it from his grasp in one motion. The blade cut her fingers in her hurry.

"Someone, come here!" she called frantically to any- and everybody. The capable girl tossed the knife away and ripped two strips of cloth from the bed sheet. Lenalee quickly used one as a makeshift tourniquet, and the other to bandage Mujaki's wrist. "Why wold you try to do that? You're so young… why?!" The entire 'remnant', excluding Dakuto, ran through the door at that moment.

"Nobody wants me. Debitto-dono hates me. He wishes I was the dead one. I can't make Jasdero-sama come back, so I was trying to make him _half_ happy…"

"What?!" Lavi and Allen looked at Debitto, shocked that someone even as tempermental as him would tell a thirteen-year-old something like that.

"WHAT?!" gasped Debitto, even more surprised than they.

"How could you?" Road demanded of Debitto, shocked.

Tyki grabbed Debitto's arm roughly. "We need to talk, boy."

"But I didn't…" Debitto began. He turned to Mujaki. "Who told you those _lies?!_"

Mujaki sniffed before he replied, "Aleister…"

"Who's that?" Lenalee asked, her brows furrowed.

An idea began to form in Allen's head. "What did he look like? Please, tell us everything you can remember."

Mujaki swallowed. "W-well, he had a black hat and black hair, and really blue eyes. He had a green jacket, with a lot of belts." Allen, Lavi, and Debitto exchanged apprehensive looks. "He had a lot of skulls, and his hands were all chained up…"

Lavi nodded. "That's definitely the guy who killed the other two."

The small Noah looked up, surprised. "H-he did?" his eyes were wide.

Road nudged Debitto, who knew he had something to do. Taking his cue, he walked over to his cousin. "Yes, and he tried to kill you." Lenalee backed away from Mujaki, who flinched as Debitto came closer. Swallowing his pride – and knowing that what he was about to do would be very out of character – Debitto knelt next to Mujaki and hugged him. "Mujaki, I'm sorry I hit you. I do want Jasdero back… but not at the cost of you." He stood up, face slightly red from embarrassment, and smiled, reaching down a hand to rough up Mujaki's hair. "After all, what would I do without my little shadow?"

Happy tears filled Mujaki's eyes, and he broke into a grin. "D-Debitto-dono…!" Then his face immediately fell. "I… I almost did something really stupid, didn't I…?"

"Yes, you did." Tyki said sternly. He bent down and picked up the knife from the floor. "Don't expect this back any time soon."

The group all heard the unspoken thought that was tacked on the end of that: _If we all live that long._

* * *

**Whew. Gomennasai if this chapter was a little cheesy and overdone. **

**I know you readers probably hate Aleister's guts, but let me point out one thing: he **_**was **_**'softhearted enough' – if you will – to not kill Mujaki with his own hands. He just left him to do it himself. I can't help but feel sorry for Aleister. Hopefully I will plant some seeds of that in you later on. **

**I've been thinking of songs that fit these characters, as far as this story's concerned, and maybe after the lyrics are spoiler-free I'll tell you all of them. But I will say, the song "Behind Blue Eyes" keeps popping in my head for Aleister.**


	9. Spiderwebs of Hate

**I will say that this quote has a double meaning. Just read to find out.**

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**Chapter 9:_ Ragnatela di Odio_**

**Spider Webs of Hate.**

**Death lies on her, like an untimely frost  
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.**

**-**_**Shakespeare**_

Dakuto blinked her eyes open. She had fallen asleep on the couch before the trouble upstairs with Mujaki began, but she had barely dozed for ten minutes. A wave of sorrow washed over her at one thought: _Jasdero-sama's dead._

"Dakuto?" A stranger's voice asked.

The blonde sat up, her eyes focusing on the figure leaning against the wall. "Who are you?"

"Aleister Kro. But 'who' doesn't matter. "He shot a cold blue glare at Dakuto, an icy smirk gracing his lips. "It's the 'why' and 'how' that you should worry about." he took a step towards the confused girl.

"What do you mean?"

Aleister brought his hands together, and when he separated them, there was a hazy image of what appeared to be two unconscious and bound specters. "Hm…" he murmured, brows furrowed. "That's odd. There should be three…"

Dakuto leaned closer, her breath catching in her throat as she recognized the forms as the exorcist and Jasdero. "W-what…?"

"Well, no matter. I'll fix that soon enough." The teenager shrugged, a sense of finality in his voice, as the image suddenly dissolved. "I have something to give you, Dakuto. You're a very special girl…"

Recognition flashed in Dakuto's eyes at the all-too-familiar words.

Aleister touched the ground with his hand. As he dragged it across the air, the shape of a large black wolf appeared. "I told you I had a puppy for you." A dark laugh escaped from his mouth at the girl's wide eyed fear. "This is rich! You're expressions are so fun to toy with, Noah!"

Dakuto climbed over the back of the couch, though all that was behind there was the corner. She pressed herself against the wall.

"Finish her, Saizol." Aleister turned and left, tipping his hat to the girl before vanishing through the doorway to the entry hall.

Saliva dripped from Saizol's mouth, his teeth bared. He charged at Dakuto, leaping over the couch.

Dakuto shrieked in terror and pain as the dog's teeth ripped into her throat. His claws raked her arms and stomach as she collapsed to the ground in a mangled heap. Blood splurted from the wounds, bleeding the life out of her. The last thing she saw was the hell-hound, then her vision filmed over with crimson red.

Everyone jumped at the sound of Dakuto's piercing screeches. "Oh, God, no!" Road whispered in horror, her gray face blanching.

Mujaki felt something twist in his gut. '_Dakuto!_' He jumped up and dashed down the hallway, nearly falling down the stairs. "Dakuto!" he shouted, knowing all to well that he wouldn't get a response. Noah was already crying.

Tyki dashed out seconds behind Mujaki, and the others followed at a run immediately.

Mujaki ran into the room with the couch. "Daku?" The stench of blood was overpowering. His eyes widened as he saw the crimson blood splattered on the wall. He sank to the floor and hugged his knees, not willing to see anymore. His mind replayed to him the petty argument the two had had earlier that night, over who would sleep on the couch, and the things he had jokingly told her. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean it… I didn't want you to die, or get hurt…" he whispered earnestly, forehead resting on his knees and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Where is she?" Tyki inquired as he burst into the room with everyone else on his heels. His eyes followed Mujaki's trembling finger. Tyki walked over to the couch, and braced himself for what he might find.

The girl's remains were collapsed on the floor, covered in blood. The overall impression was that of a mangled creature a cat has brought home and left at the door. Her golden eyes stared blankly at nothing. Dakuto's clothing and flesh was torn, blood seeping into her neon-and-black striped sleeves and leggings. Rather, sleeve, as one arm was broken off around the elbow and nowhere in sight.

"Oh!" Lenalee gasped, turning away and hiding her eyes. Bile rose in her throat at the horrid sight.

Road hung back, hugging Mujaki.

Debitto looked over Tyki's shoulder, then grimaced and banged the wall with his fist. "Dammit… First Jasdero, now her… Dammit!"

Allen shook his head, his gaze hardened. "Who could do something like that?"

"This Aleister guy… he's heartless." murmured Lavi.

Mujaki hugged Road and cried. "Why do people have to die?" he asked haltingly.

"I don't know," was her answer. "I don't know."

Tyki shook his head, turning away from the gruesome sight. "Immortal, ha!" he laughed wryly through the tears streaming down his face. "What a cruel load of bull!"

"Apparently this guy preys on the alone, right? If we stay in groups, then maybe…?" Allen speculated.

"That might work." agreed Lavi. "He may not want to face more than one of us at a time. That way, he may not have the element of surprise."

Lenalee looked at the four miserable Noahs. "To keep this from happening again, we might as well try."

Road sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Why does this guy hate us so?"

"I have no idea." Lenalee shrugged. "He seems to be targeting you Noahs more, though."

The Noah leaned against the dresser, staring into the mirror with her chin in her hands. "This house has been bothering me. Something about it reminds me of innocence. And the name… 'Aleister'… it seems familiar, like something I should be remembering."

Lenalee pondered that for a moment. "As far as the house is concerned, I see what you mean, now that you mention it. That would explain why Tyki's ability wouldn't work, as well. Could Aleister maybe be an accommodator?"

"I have no way of knowing." Road couldn't help but laugh at the irony that an exorcist was asking a Noah about an accommodator. She turned around, smiling, then froze. "L-Lenalee! Behind you!"

The exorcist began to turn, startled, but too slow. A sickening _thunk_ was heard, and she felt pain explode in her chest. Drops of blood splattered on Road's horrified face. Dazed, Lenalee looked down at the glistening blade protruding from directly over her heart. The same red liquid ran from the side of her mouth, and she swayed on her feet. As Aleister jerked the blade out, the sixteen-year-old crumpled limply to the ground.

Aleister eyed the astonished Noah as he licked Lenalee's blood from the knife. Smirking, he gave what he passed as an explanation. "It takes a single drop belonging to a corpse to bind their soul forever."

"What are you doing this for?!" Road asked pleadingly, backing away. _'Why does he look so familiar?!' _She asked herself desperately.

"Why? _Why?!_" Aleister's eyes flashed, and he lost all semblance of control over his temper. "You have _no_ right to ask me _anything!_"

"I didn't do anything to you!" Road protested. When she looked closer, she was started to see unimaginable pain and hurt in Aleister's eyes. "What happened to you to make you act this way?"

"Oh, now you care." he scoffed. "Nothing is what! Nothing you could change _now!_" he spat, hurling the knife angrily at Road. He missed in his fury. It hit the mirror behind her, sending a spider web of cracks across it.

Someone knocked on the door. "Lenalee? Road? Are you okay? What was that noise?"

"Run, Allen!" She shrieked, not wanting to risk passing Aleister to get to the door.

Aleister cursed. "I'll make you suffer, girl." he threatened, glaring at her with blue eyes of pure hate. "That's why I'm letting you live."

"What's wrong?" Allen called from the other side of the door.

Road looked at Lenalee's corpse, then back to Aleister. But he was gone. She sighed with relief. "He's gone…" she whispered. She crossed the room to the door and reached for the handle, her hands shaking. It stuck for a moment, but then opened.

The Noah fell out into Allen's arms, trembling from her close brush with death. "Allen! I tried to warn her! I thought he would kill me too!"

Allen was startled, then looked into the room. "No… not Lenalee!" Road released him to let him run to the fallen girl's side.

"What's going on? I heard shouting." Tyki called as he walked up. His pace quickened when he saw the blood on his niece. "Are you alright? What happened?!" he asked urgently as he embraced her.

"I'm fine…" Road looked back into the room. "But… he killed Lenalee." she shuddered. "I didn't have a chance to attack him or anything."

Lavi came running down the hall. "Allen! Why'd you come out here? We're supposed to stay…" he trailed off. "Wha…?"

Tyki glanced at the exorcist. "Lenalee."

Horror washed over the Junior Bookman's face. "What?!" he dashed into the room. "Why her?"

* * *

**Not too bad was it? ;.;**

**The end couldn't help but strike me as a little cheesy… gomen.**

**T.T Poor Dakuto. And Lenalee. My brother hates me for killing his favorite DGM character (Lenalee) in this one, I hope you readers don't. Keep in mind: My uber-favoritest character was the one who was killed **_**first**_**. Several times this story has put tears in my eyes. ;.; **

**Aleister's temper tantrum surprised **_**me**_** the first time I wrote it. He just snapped. I'd read about authors being surprised at the turn of events before, but this was one of the first times it happened to me.**


	10. In Revenge

**I believe I have made Aleister overly cruel, but… well, what's done is done. I seriously think I accidentally created a character who's either bipolar (clinically) or literally has a Split Personality Disorder. And please, don't blame Debi.**

**I don't own it.**

* * *

**Chapter 10:_ Per Vendicarsi Di_**

**_In Revenge_**

**The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,  
****Which hurts and is desired.**

**-William Shakespeare**

Mujaki sat on the bed, curled into a ball and crying.

Debitto sighed, leaning against the wall. "That guy seems to be trying to wipe us out." He glanced at the door upon hearing shouting. "… Mujaki, I think something's wrong."

"Yeah. It is…" Mujaki whimpered. "They're gone _forever_."

"No, I mean something else." Debitto headed towards the door. "Come on. Let's go see what's going on." He walked out of the room.

Mujaki wiped his eyes on his hands, then stood and followed. Before he could leave, however, the door slammed shut. His eyes widened at the dark figure leaning against the wall, arm stretched out from slamming the door shut. Aleister lifted his cold blue eyes to meet Mujaki's fearful golden gaze.

"You came back?!" Mujaki gasped.

"I don't like to leave a job unfinished. That dark haired Noah girl, you are special to her, right?" Aleister's voice dripped with malice. "So your death will pain her?" This seemed a completely different person than the one who had approached Mujaki earlier that night.

"What do you want?" the Noah stepped back.

Aleister touched the doorknob, then brought his hands together. When he pulled them apart, several long stakes were in his hand. Each was nearly a centimeter thick, tapering abruptly at the end. His icy eyes glinted evilly once more, filled with bloodlust. "Thank her as well as your damned Noah's blood for your suffering!"

Hatred rolling off of him in waves, Aleister leaped towards Mujaki. He grabbed the thin boy by the throat and threw him against the door.

Mujaki yelped on impact, then fell to the ground like a rag doll. Something in his arm snapped when he landed on it. He grabbed his arm and held it close. The thirteen-year-old looked fearfully up at the teenager standing over him.

Aleister jerked Mujaki to his feet and held him against the wall. "It's a shame. I actually felt sorry for you, despite your blood. But you didn't die! I'll have to make sure it works this time, so you'll pay."

The young Noah trembled silently, tears spilling from his eyes.

Grabbing Mujaki's wrist, Aleister held it even with his head on the door. He held one stake in position over the middle of Mujaki's forearm. "For my mother, who your kind killed." he hissed, before slamming the stake through the child's arm.

Mujaki shrieked in pain, but Aleister had already grabbed his broken arm, and held the stake over it even with the other one. "For all the pain and regret your family has made me live with." He drove it in.

Mujaki was still screaming. "Stop! Please! I didn't do anything!" he sobbed.

When the door behind him had slammed, Debitto had turned around swiftly. "Mujaki! What are you doing?" He reached for the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn. "Hey!"

Tyki looked down the hallway. "Debitto! He got Lenal- What on earth are you up to? Where's Mujaki?"

"He's in here, and he's got to be holding the freaking door shut!" Debitto called down the hall as he tried to open the door, pushing on it with all of his **skinny ass 103.5 pounds of **weight.

"What?" Road blinked. "You're supposed to stay with him!"

"Shut the hell up! You don't think I know that? Anyways, he was supposed to follow me out! It's not-" Debitto cut off as the door shuddered. A thud and a yelp – definitely Mujaki's – was heard.

Debitto stared blankly at the door for a fraction of a second, then threw himself at the door with renewed strength. "Damn it! Let me in!"

Tyki and Road came running.

_Slam! _The tip of a metal spike protruded through the door. Blood dripped from the its tip. The corresponding screams confirmed that the blood was Mujaki's.

"Mujaki! Hang on! We'll help you; just stay with us!" Tyki yelled as he tried the door himself, throwing his weight into it.

Another stake appeared, the shrieks exploding louder once more, screaming something that sounded like "Stop" over and over.

"No, no, _no!_" Debitto, Tyki, and Road all tried to knock the door open.

Lavi and Allen came running, hearing the shouts and screams. "Not another one! It's so soon!" Lavi exclaimed.

Allen noticed the tears running down Road's face. "Oh no… are we too late?"

"No, not yet." she replied, knowing he saw the tears. "Noah's not crying yet, just me. But we don't have much time!"

Warm scarlet blood streamed down Mujaki's arms. Tears ran from his golden eyes as well. "Stop, stop! Please, no!" He begged tearfully. Searing pain was numbing his arms of all but itself. The slightest movement of anything would send mind-searing pain coursing through his arms.

Aleister held the final stake in his left hand, his right palm ready to drive it in. The abruptly tapering tip was positioned over Mujaki's thin, trebling chest.

The young boy's protests were now a mere whimper. He hung his head, his chin on his collarbone, accepting that he was going to die. His head shot up, however, when he heard what his screams had drowned out before.

"Mujaki!" The voice was muffled somewhat, but Debitto's all the same.

"D-debitto-dono… taskete*!" the tear-streaked boy pleaded.

"You will pay for the sins of your clan." Aleister hissed. He raised the stake. "Die for every one of my brother's breaths _she _stole!"

Mujaki's eyes widened, and he screamed, torment filling the high-pitched wail. The metal drove in, shattering through the slender breastbone. The boy flinched as it went in, turning to the left. Pain shot through his arms, but it was dulled by the explosion in his chest.

Aleister cursed as the stake broke through to the wood of the door. Blood splattered over everything, coming from the punctured arteries in the child's quivering chest.

"I'll leave you to die slowly, Envy. I wish you could have at least a taste of all the pain you put akuma through, the torment you beasts inflicted on Leine before you destroyed his soul! Rot in hell!" Aleister struck Mujaki, leaving a reddened mark on his cheek. Pure loathing burned in his icy eyes. He touched his fingers to Mujaki's blood, and using it, copied a tactic Road had used before. He wrote on the wall, "Suffer, Road. You killed him, not me; this is revenge." Angrily, he stalked through the wall and left.

Mujaki coughed, making a gagging sound as blood ran from his mouth and nose. Every breath, every heartbeat sent needles of pain ripping through him. His breath sounded airy and wispy, and his heartbeats were jerky and uneven. He knew it wouldn't be long before both stopped altogether.

Suddenly, the door opened. Mujaki let out a tormented cry, and Debitto barely managed to stop the door from slamming into the wall.

"Mujaki!" Road shouted as the five hurried into the room.

"Hang in there, Mujaki, you'll be okay." Tyki tried to reassure the boy, as well as convince himself. '_It tears** me up to see him like this…'_ He tried to figure out a way to get the boy down.

Debitto cursed again, frantically running to Mujaki. "Are you…" he shook his head, knowing it was a stupid question. "Damn, I'm so sorry! It's my fault this happened to you…" Those were tears in his eyes.

"Debitto-dono…" Mujaki's voice sounded strained, and his breathing was raspy. He couched again, blood spilling from his mouth. "Tyki… It hurts…" Tears streamed from his dulling eyes.

"Pull the stakes out with your hands!" Lavi ordered.

Allen moved past the others. "I'll do it." He looked into the boy's eyes. "This is going to hurt, but it will help make it better, okay?"

Mujaki nodded numbly. As Allen grasped the stake, Mujaki let out a cry.

The exorcist grasped it and pulled. Finally, the stake came free from the door, jerking Mujaki's arm forward. He yelped, and Allen grasped his arm to pull out the stake. Once it ws free, blood poured from the hole, and the boy's arm fell limply to his side.

Mujaki began whimpering and crying again, the tears mingling with the blood on his face before falling to the ground. His eyes had lost their shine, and were now a dull golden color. The gray is his face was pale and washed out from blood loss, and dark circles were under his eyes. "Make it stop, please… make it stop…" he begged Allen, sounding short of breath.

"You'll be fine, Mujaki. We can take you to Danyle*** or somebody…" Debitto was searching for reassurance. He grasp Mujaki's freed hand as he tried to come up with things to say. Allen began to remove the stake in Mujaki's chest.

Suddenly, a fourth stake's sharp end burst through Mujaki's forehead, splattering blood on both Allen and Debitto, as well as the ones behind them. Mujaki's eyes were wide. Blood poured down his face, and blood slipped from his eye, resembling a tear. His body sagged and went limp, his eyes clouding over… and he was gone.

* * *

***TASKETE: Save me!**

****IT TEARS ME UP: Tears, as in a synonym for 'rips', not plural for the little wet raindrops that come from people's eyes.**

*****DANYLE: An exorcist OC who's Innocence allows her extraordinary healing prowess. She has talent in this area without her Innocence as well, so she would be able to treat Noahs if the need arose. She is highly sympathetic to the Noah's, as she is close friends with Road (they go to the same school) and is in love with Jasdero.**

… **Dang. Poor, poor Mujaki. T.T I still don't know why I made his death the worst. Why, oh why, Road, did you **_**have**_** to piss Aleister off right before this? ... Since I wrote it, I shouldn't really ask her, but I do that a lot. Gomen.**

**Thank you, those who have stuck with the story so far. I hope that you will stick with me to see it through to the very end.**


	11. Nostalgia

**YAY! SEASON 1 PART 2 DGM DVD'S! *Fangirl***

**About the chapter title (Yes, I'm sorry this one's short, it just worked out that way.) I mean it as the definition: A longing for a past, most likely happier, time; not home-sickness. Also, who would've thought that the Italian and English are the same word? o_____o I was surprised.**

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: **_**Nostalgia  
**__**Nostalgia**_

**Everyone who loves is vulnerable to the pain of grief, for love means attachment and all human attachments are subject to loss. But grief need not, should not, be a destructive emotion. **

**-_Joyce Brothers_**

*Note: This chapter occurs simultaneously to the end of Chapter 10.*

Aleister returned, standing in the hall outside the room where he had just staked the Noah child to the door. He wanted to be sure it was over. The teenager hesitated, hearing to panicking voices inside. _'It should have been over by now. I failed, Leine. I missed his heart. But he _will _die.' _Aleister thought. _'I hit his lung. It will be slow, like your suffering, and his pain will be for you.'_

He started to walk away, but froze when he heard Mujaki's soft whimper, "Make it stop, please, make it stop…" Suddenly, Aleister was no longer seeing the present, but the past.

_Twin boys clad in matching clothes were running and laughing. One had black hair, and the other, white. They both had the same striking blue eyes. The black haired one tripped and fell, sprawling onto the ground. "Are you okay, Aleister?" the other asked, laughter in his voice._

_The same dark haired boy, older now. A sorrowful woman wrapped her arm around him as they sat side by side at the front of a nearly empty church. The white haired twin lay pale and cold in a black casket, with his hands folded on his chest and eyes closed peacefully. _

"_I should have died, not Leine." sniffed the living boy. "He jumped in to save me… It's _my_ fault."_

"_It's not your fault." The mother tried to comfort her remaining son, tears streaming down her face._

_The many times after that night, when Aleister's mother seemed… different. The times when he looked into her brown eyes, and had the eerie feeling that they belonged to his brother. And then…_

_And then the night she attacked him. He was seventeen at the time, years after his brother died. Aleister had barely escaped with his life, but he had learned more than enough._

_His mother was dead._

_His brother had killed her._

_And he was next._

_**Akuma:**__ a demon made from a human soul encased in the body of someone close to them, formed from tears and longing. That was his brother, inside of their mother._

_The young girl with spiky blue hair and gray skin laughed wickedly, looking at the white haired exorcist. "We meet again, Allen~." She glanced at the akuma next to her. "I had a little job for this one, but he can help you entertain me now instead. He's too weak to kill you, but…"_

_Aleister watched with wide eyes. These two were younger than him, but at the same time seemed older, in a sense. The creature he had thought was his mother looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry." It said._

"_Self destruct."_

_The Level Two akuma spun his head around. "W-what?! Road-tama, you can't mean-"_

"_Stop your whining. I'm waiting." Road smirked from her face on the pink umbrella-golem. "Hurry up."_

"_No!" the exorcist shouted, his arm transforming as he leaped at the akuma. "Not another!"_

"_Exorcist, please save me! Make it stop!" the akuma's voice had a ghostly and familiar ring as it pleaded. Almost before it finished, it exploded._

_Aleister stared. _'This isn't happening… this just couldn't be happening! It's not real!'_ Deep down, he wasn't fooling himself. A deep sense of loss flooded him. He knew what had happened, enough anyway. He stood and ran, swearing to his mother and brother that he would avenge them, all the while burning the faces into his memory of the Noah girl – and the exorcist who had been too late._

Aleister relived those memories in a flash, only seconds passing. He sighed. _'I'm sorry brother, but I have to. I have to do what the exorcist didn't, and answer the plea.'_ A fourth stake appeared in his hand. He hesitated, his will to make Mujaki suffer conflicting with his nostalgic pity for the Noah.

"_End it_." A familiar voice seemed to whisper in his ear. A voice belonging to a soul that was supposed to have been destroyed a year ago.

A sad smile flickered on Aleister's lips, unsure whether the voice was his imagination or not. He plunged the stake through the door, about where Mujaki's head should be. Then, he ran down the hall, knowing he would be followed. _'I won't be weak again, Leine. And I won't miss.'_

* * *

**I would lump in the next chapter with this one, but I think this chapter just stands on its own. Sorry for the not-very-long-ness. At least its uploaded at the same time as a big fat one.**

**Hopefully, this chapter served to explain Aleister a little more... **

**. Too much italics.**


	12. To Protect

***UPDATED***

**Believe it or not, the story is nearing its end. Nearing, not ending-next-chapter or anything. Nearing. But I've only written two or so chapters ahead of this, so they may not be uploaded as often as they have been. (My week-off was because I was in DC without a computer for vacation, so naturally I couldn't upload.)**

**But thanks for reading so far; I would love any reviews; and I don't own it.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: _ In Proteggere  
To Protect_**

**Do not go gentle into that good night  
****Rage, rage against the dying of the light.**

_**-Dylan Thomas**_

Everyone stared wide eyed at the newly dead corpse. Debitto was frozen in shock and horror as his cousin's hand went limp in his. Tyki and Road froze, and the tears came for all three. Noah acknowledged the loss as well.

"Not… not the little pest too! This is too much!" Tyki said quietly, sorrow filling his voice.

Lavi recovered from the shock first. He bolted out of the room in time to see Aleister rounding the corner. "Get back here!" he shouted. But it was too late, Aleister was too far ahead. The redhead slowed, then turned back and rejoined the others.

"I'm going to pull this one out." Lavi told them from outside the door as he grabbed the fatal stake. It came out slowly, making a sickening sound as it came free. The exorcist rejoined the others inside, dropping the stake against the wall.

Allen removed the stake from the slender boy's chest, and Debitto caught Mujaki's body as it fell forwards. The white haired exorcist then freed his other arm.

"I'm so sorry…" Debitto held Mujaki's broken body close to him. "If I had just stayed with you, maybe at least I would have died too and been freed from this hell…"

Road's eyes traveled to the blood splattered wall. She gasped at what she saw. "No!" Tyki looked at what had caused his niece to react so.

"Road? What is this about?" The oldest Noah present asked uncertainly.

"I remember now… his eyes…" She buried her face in her hands. "He was that boy with Innocence I was supposed to kill. I used an akuma there. It was his brother… then I made it self-destruct." Road felt as if her heart were breaking. "This massacre… it's all my fault."

Allen stiffened. "You mean… Aleister is the guy from then?"

"Why would he kill exorcists if Road was the one who made the akuma self-destruct?" Tyki asked thoughtfully.

Lavi looked around at the group solemnly. "If he knew Allen didn't get there in time."

---

***In one of the buildings in Noah's Ark.***

"What the hell?!" An angry shout was heard from an upstairs floor.

Lulu Bell looked towards the stairs, where she presumed Noah's Pain* would soon appear. And she was right.

Mendo stalked down the stairs. "What the hell is with this? Hey Lulu, what's going on?" He angrily brushed the wetness from his gray face. "You have all of five seconds to tell me why the fuck these tears keep coming!" He growled.

The Lust of Noah sighed. "Mendo, you already know that if Noah cries, we all do…"

"Then why the hell is Noah crying?!"

"I have no idea." the black haired woman said. Lulu was nearing the end of her patience. "Go ask someone else."

"Tch." Mendo's golden eye twitched. He, like Road and Lulu, wore his human form a lot, but not when he was in the Ark. He turned and headed for the door, then stopped. "Where's everybody been?"

Lulu Bell took a deep breath. Mendo was enough to grate on anyone's nerves, especially when he's even more irritable in the middle of the night. "In bed. It's only two or so hours from dawn."

"Like hell they are." The Noah with shoulder-length black hair scoffed. "The rooms Mujaki and Dakuto use are near mine. And empty."

"What?" Lulu looked sharply at Mendo.

"Twins, headaches, Road, and that Tyki are all gone." After a second thought, the cross Noah walked over to a chair and flopped into it. "Damn. This is really annoying." Mendo grumbled as he rubbed at his eye. "Wonder who died. Hope it was Jasdevi." he muttered the last part.

The woman shot him a look, but wondered the same herself. _'Why is Noah crying?'_

---

Road and Allen walked downstairs. Lavi followed the two, wanting to give Debitto some time with Mujaki, who had all but worshipped the air he breathed. Tyki stayed with him, to pay his respects as well as to keep an eye out for the murderer.

Road sighed. "I can't believe all of this killing is our fault. My fault." she corrected.

"It is kind of… I don't know. It makes me feel guilty." Allen sighed, too.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. What's done is done." Lavi said wisely. "All we can do is try and keep it from happening again."

Allen stepped from the stairs, glancing up at the gorgeous chandelier dangling overhead. He leaned against the banister. "I just can't help but think that if I had gotten there in time, Lenalee would still be alive."

Road's eyes widened as the chandelier began to sway, slowly at first. Suddenly, the chain was cut from the ceiling.

"No!" she shouted, dashing across the room and knocking Allen out of the way.

Allen's eyes widened as a split second later the chandelier crashed down and struck the ground next to them. The two hit the ground, Road landing on Allen.

"What was that noise?" Tyki and Debitto came running, fearing the worst. Of course, the first thing Tyki saw was his niece laying on Allen, their faces inches from each other.

"Oh, no, now you've done it." he said angrily. "Get off him, Road! What am I going to tell your father? Wait until he hears about this!"

"I-it's not what you think!" Allen insisted, face red.

"Tyki. The chandelier fell." Debitto changed the topic, not out of concern for Road or Allen, but wanting to know what was going on. "What the hell happened?"

"It just fell, honest." Lavi said. "Road knocked Allen out of the way."

Road jumped to her feet, reaching down a hand to help Allen to his feet. "It almost hit my Allen." She hugged Allen. "Since its my fault, I won't let you get hurt." the Noah told him.

Allen's face turned red again.

Tyki looked at Road, eyebrow raised. "I'm watching you."

"Was it Aleister?" Debitto asked Lavi, walking down the stairs towards the redhead.

The red head thought. "Well… Probably. But I can't be sure, since I didn't actually see him here. It just fell." Lavi eyed the sharp ends of the heavy chandelier. "If that had hit you, Allen, you would've been killed for sure."

---

Aleister sat on the bed that had been used by the twins. He had an image hovering in the air between his hands. The spiked cuffs on his hands were what caused the image to appear, or even be possible. Those cuffs were the reason Leine was the akuma that Road told to self-destruct; the reason Allen had been there in the first place, that time not that long ago. The reason he was able to kill all of these people, and the reason he had taken a tree on a hill and from it created a banister and house to go with it. Yes, the reason the house was there.

His Innocence.

* * *

***NOAH'S PAIN: Mendo Toya, another OC who obviously is from the Noah Clan.**

**I don't know the personality of Lulu Bell very well (HA! I rhymed!), so forgive any OOC-ness. That segment of the story just popped out as I was typing. It surprised me, actually. And as for Sheryl, he's asleep at that time. The only one with common sense, sadly and apparently. Don't even **_**ask**_** why Lulu was awake. She just was.**

**~*Well, thanks to glon morski, I finally have a chapter without a death. –Gasp.- Wow. Shocker. And I will say this was thanks to her, because she pointed out a critical error, which prompted the re-write.*~**


	13. Scheming of the Unresigned

***UPDATED***

**This chapter and chapter 12 have been rewritten. By the time 14 is up, please re-read 12 and 13 BEFORE reading it, as things will be a lot different. Sorry for any inconvenience, but I have gotten sudden inspiration by the name of "glon morski" that will GREATLY improve the story. **

**I don't own it, you should know that by now. **

* * *

**Chapter 13: **_**Macchinoso del Gente Non Rassegnato**_

_**Scheming of the Unresigned**_

**Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave**

**Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind,**

**Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave**

**I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.**

_**-Edna St. Vincent Millay**_

Tyki sighed. "I fear that we aren't going to make it out of here." He looked at the four others in the living room. The smell of blood still filled the room, but there wasn't really a room that _wasn't_ filled with the unmistakable odor.

Allen looked at his feet. "I'd almost feel guilty if we did, if that creep Aleister was still around."

Road stared at the floor guiltily. "I _already_ feel guilty. Why didn't he just kill me, since I'm the one who hurt him? Why did he have to take his anger out on everyone else?" Images of all the others flashed through her mind, especially the youngest Noahs that she had been so fond of.

Tyki rested a hand on his niece's shoulder. The two were sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

"Why don't we just kill him and be done with it?" Lavi suggested.

Everyone's head snapped up to look at him. The room went deathly quiet. "How do we do it?" Fire gleamed in Debitto's golden eyes. "I'm willing to do anything, even kill myself, if that bastard would die with me."

"Don't say that!" Allen gasped.

Tyki looked grim. "That may be what it comes down to."

Lavi stood and began pacing past the bookcase. "We need a will to survive if we're going to beat him, though."

Debitto pulled a knife out of his jacket pocket, pointing it at Lavi. "Screw your 'will to survive'! You haven't lost any of your family to this son of a bitch, but I've lost nearly everyone! And nothing will get them back!"

"Debitto, we all have!" Road insisted. "Please, if you must kill one of us, kill me! It's my fault!"

Allen looked at Road. "I did just as much as you did. You can't take all of the blame. Lenalee and Kanda's blood is on my hands."

Lavi blinked. "Debitto… I… Can you put that up?" He pointed at the knife. "We're going to have to work together on this."

Reaching over to the teenage Noah, Tyki pushed Debitto's hand down. "Don't kill him. We'll need all the help we can get to get rid of Aleister."

After giving Tyki a dark look, the black haired boy put away the knife.

"Should we, you know, collect the bodies?" Allen suggested, trying to change the subject. "It's disrespectful to leave them around, don't you think?"

"And, it will be easier to get them back home and buried if they're all together." Tyki thought aloud, always the sensible one.

"We should just leave the bodies in the kitchen," said Debitto. "That way, we only have to move three."

Tyki retrieved Dakuto's body, and placed her in the kitchen.

Debitto and Lavi both headed upstairs, knowing whose body each was going to retrieve. Lavi stepped into the room where Lenalee's body lay, and the Noah headed for Mujaki. Before long, all five bodies were laid side by side.

Lavi looked out of a window. The same stars as were always there glinted brightly, and the same moon shone down. Life outside was going on as usual, oblivious to the tragedy going on inside.

---

The group was once again in the living room. Lavi stood next to the bookshelf, and the others all sat on the chairs and couch around the room. They were talking, trying to come up with a plan to off Aleister.

"He has Innocence, doesn't he?" Tyki thought aloud. "So, we just need to find the source."

"Yes, you're right." Allen agreed. "But what could the source _be?_"

Lavi looked thoughtful. "Well…" he said. "When we saw him that first time, I got a pretty good look at him. If I were to guess, then I'd place my bet on those shiny metal cuffs of his."

Debitto stared at the redhead, mouth agape. "No way you could tell that fast! He was barely there for a minute!"

"Bookman eyes." Lavi pointed to his eye. "I'm trained to notice things. Remember that time I found the key?"

The teenage Noah nodded. "Whatever." He turned away, his pride wounded by being proven wrong.

"Guys, stop fighting!" Road said. "What happened to 'work together'?"

Debitto stuck his tongue out at the girl, who mirrored the expression.

"All we need, if Lavi's right, is for one of us Noah's to destroy that Innocence." Tyki continued, choosing to ignore the little spat with Debitto.

Allen paled as a thought hit him. "But what if he has the Heart?"

* * *

**~*There! Slightly longer than the original upload!*~**

**Please don't ask why Debi had a knife. Most guys do carry a pocketknife, but knowing his and Dero's ability that wouldn't be necessary, would it? Ah, well. **

**This is completely off topic, but has any one heard of a manga called Psycho Busters? I was at Books-A-Million today, and the title (and cover) caught my eye. For the female readers, there are plenty of HOT guys, and an interesting story (from what I've read. There's practically no info on it, though its at least two years old.) For the guys among us, there's plenty of fanservice too, so its definitely good for guys as well! Please check it out and tell all of your friends about it, so we can spread the love and make the fandom grow! Sorry for rambling randomly, but it was on my mind. n.n''**


	14. Is It the Heart or Not?

**And, without further ado, Chapter 14!**

**Thank you for your patience with the rewriting. If you haven't yet, then when you read this make sure the versions of Chapters 12 and 13 you read had *****UPDATED***** written at the top. If not, go back and read those, because I went back and changed some key points.**

**Still don't own it.**

* * *

**Chapter 14:_ E Esso il Cuore... o Non? _**

**_Is It the Heart… or Not?_**

**The crisis you have to worry about the most is the one you don't see coming.**

**_-Mike Mansfield_**

"All we need, if Lavi's right, is for one of us Noah's to destroy that Innocence." Tyki continued, choosing to ignore the little spat with Debitto.

Allen paled as a thought hit him. "But what if he has the Heart?"

The five exchanged looks. "I really hadn't thought about that…" Lavi admitted. "But chances are, it's not him."

"If he does have it, though, then all the Innocence will be destroyed." countered the white haired exorcist. "I'm sorry, but we just can't risk it." Allen shook his head. "There has to be another way."

Debitto crossed his arms. "Do you want to die here, or take the chance? After all, it's _your_ fault, too, that everyone's dead." he hissed.

"Don't blame him! He tried!" Road defended Allen.

"Shut it, bitch. You started it." Debitto's temper flared again. "He should have tried faster!"

"Well…"

-

Aleister stared down at the group. They hadn't noticed him yet, perched on top of the bookcase. They were too involved in their pathetic conversation. As if their decision made any difference. He ran his fingertip along the edge of the stolen blade he held- Mugen.

The teenager slipped the toe of his shoe in the small space between the back of the bookshelf and the wall. With a simple jerk of his foot, the top-heavy bookcase began to fall forward. Aleister quickly transferred his weight to that foot and stepped back with the other.

Lavi stared upwards, a shocked expression on his face as the shelf fell towards him. Books and knickknacks fell all around the Junior Bookman.

Allen's jaw dropped in horror as the heavy shelf fell with an ominous _thud._

Aleister stabbed Mugen through the shelf about where Lavi was under it, using his weight to help him plunge it through. Blue eyes met gold as Aleister tilted his head up. Debitto saw in those eyes pure hatred, and his own mirrored the expression. Aleister kicked off of the fallen shelf and flipped over the standing four's heads. He hit the ground at a run, and quickly vanished around the corner.

Tyki was about to try and follow, but concluded that the best thing to do would to get Lavi out from under the shelf, in the off chance that the sword had missed, or hadn't killed him. Together, he, Allen, and the other two Noah managed to move the bookshelf. The theory that Aleister had missed dissolved into thin air, as the exorcist's blood was already seeping into the books.

"Lavi!" Allen shouted, frantically throwing the books off of his comerade. "I can't be the last exorcist here! It's not possible! Maybe he's still alive…"

Road shook her head. "Allen, I'm sorry. If he was, your friend wouldn't be so still."

Allen tossed a bloodied dictionary behind him, then felt futilely for a pulse. None. "I've seen him fight before, he wouldn't die from a single blow! Road, tell them! You've fought Lavi before!"

The female Noah wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Allen, would you have thought Kanda would die from 'a single blow'?" Tyki asked. "Never in my worst nightmares would I have imagined that any of this would be happening."

Debitto sat on the couch, giving up. "How did Aleister know enough about us to know exactly what bait to lay for us to come?" He asked out loud.

Road laid a hand on Allen's shoulder. "I'm sorry… I never expected all of this to happen because of that one decision…"

Tyki met Allen's eyes. "You're the last exorcist, boy. Should we chance Aleister having the Heart? It's your choice for now."

"What he means is, if you die too, then we'll destroy it regardless." Debitto clarified. "Hell, I might even if you decide not to. He deserves worse than death."

After a hesitation, Allen sighed. "Do it."

Debitto smirked. "Now we can get rid of the bastard."

* * *

**I have to admit, I would love to see Aleister's acrobatics here. They would look so awesome…**

**Sorry that its kind of short. I wanted to make it longer, but didn't really know how except to put the next major plot point into it, and I wanted to save that for the next chapter. Gomennasai. Also, sorry it took so long. Things just kept coming up. PLUS… I only have about one more chapter written at this point because the others were spit out so fast on here, so it will take a little longer. **

**I also have two or so more hurdles to jump; major plot points I have to figure out. So that might add a little delay. But, it will come.**

**Arigato gozaimasu, thank you for reading. Please continue to check for updates!**


	15. The Worst Lies Ahead

**Chapter 15 is here! After a miracle called Mountain Dew right before bed, I couldn't sleep and bam! Inspiration hit! I watched the scenes right before the climax like a movie! I'm telling you, if you have writers block, book it to the nearest Taco Bell and get that Baja Blast stuff. It works wonders! ((Seriously. About three months ago, it spawned a drabble, OCXBel, as well as another OCXFran, for any Reborn! fans out there.))**

**Anyways, I can now progress. But, this is all I have written, as homework I'd been delaying has been eating up my life, and I just got back from a week of youth camp. Plus, next week I'm going to band camp. D: ((Thank you, those of you who put up with my pointless rambling I call authors notes. xD))**

**Don't own it. **

* * *

**Chapter 15:_ Il Peggio e Avanti_**

**_The Worst Lies Ahead_**

**A** **hateful act is the transference to others of the degradation we bear in ourselves.**

**- _Simone Weil_**

Tyki dragged Lavi's body into the kitchen with the others. The room he entered smelled like death; there was no other way to describe it. Debitto, Road, and Allen were looking upstairs for Aleister. The Noah turned and walked out of the room, planning on joining them. He jumped, startled, upon seeing the green clad boy on the couch, one leg propped up on it.

"I don't really want to be doing this, you know." Aleister looked up at Tyki with tired blue eyes. "Road and the exorcist forced my hand. I'd never _really _killed anyone before. I'm afraid I've gotten my hands dirty now, haven't I?" he sighed.

Tyki stared, taken aback. Was this really the same bloodless youth who had slaughtered the others?

Aleister slid his foot down to the floor and stood. "It's not easy, keeping Innocence invocated this long. I'm not really in the mood for a fight right now, so I guess I'll let you live a little longer." The boy's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't make me regret it. If you'll excuse me, I have something to do." The murderer said mockingly. He stepped around the dumbfounded Noah, planning on retrieving some of Lavi's blood.

Tyki was still shocked, but realized that this was the chance he had been waiting for. He jumped at Aleister just as the boy had his back to him. Startled, Aleister nearly dropped the knife and lost balance, falling to his knees. Tyki twisted both of Aleister's arms behind him, pinning them to his back.

The Noah went for one of the spiked cuffs on the teenager's wrists.

Aleister went white, realizing what Tyki was going to do. He had to move fast. He jerked one arm free, then twisted and sent a kick through Tyki's face. Being from this world he couldn't strike the Noah if Tyki didn't want him to. Aleister winced, a pop coming from his temporarily-useless arm as the shoulder popped out of socket.

Shocked at Aleister's quick reaction, Tyki loosened his grip just enough.

The green-clad teen rolled away, holding his left shoulder. "You son of a bitch!" he spat angrily. Aleister conjured a six-inch knife into his right hand. The youth leaped at Tyki, left arm limp at his side.

Tyki had barely wiped the blood from his nose when Aleister leaped on him, plunging the knife in again and again. He let out a shout as he fell to the ground. The Noah attempted to throw Aleister off, but the boy kept on stabbing. Blood was splattering both of them. Finally, the man succeeded in throwing his attacker aside.

Aleister gritted his teeth as he landed on one of the bodies. Pain shot through his arm, reminding him of the injury the Noah had dealt him. He glared at Tyki. 'He was actually able to injure me… I can't afford to let my guard down again.'

The twenty-six year old began to lift his head, but immediately fell back, gasping. Blood pooled around him from the multiple stab wounds. His vision began to blur from the bloodloss. Aleister watched, panting, with his cold blue eyes; watched as the Noah's life faded and his chest ceased to rise and fall with breath.

"That's that, then. You were the hardest one yet." Aleister's eyes flashed as he stood. He tossed the knife into Tyki's corpse after catching a drop of blood on his tongue. Wincing, he grasped his dislocated shoulder. "… Damned bastard."

-

"I can't find a sign of him." Allen sighed from in one of the rooms.

Debitto shook his head. "He's such an elusive son of a bitch. You only find him when he wants to be found. Where the hell-" He stopped, freezing, as something wet slid down his cheek. He glanced at Road, who had stiffened as well.

"What did you say?" Allen asked, popping his head out of the room and into the hallway.

Stunned, Debitto reached up and touched his cheek, feeling more tears slide past his fingers.

"Debitto? Road?"

"No!" Road gasped, turning and racing down the stairs.

Debitto dashed after her. "It can't be… he was supposed to come right up!"

Allen stared after the Noahs, then hurried after them. "Tyki…?!"

Road was the first to reach the kitchen. She knew what she would find, but not how she would find it. She stared at her feet, standing in a pool of blood. Tyki's blood.

The oldest person left, Debitto, stopped next to her. He took it all in slowly, as she did, and raised his eyes to the body as Allen came up behind him.

A gasp escaped Road's lips as she took in her uncle's bloody corpse. Her knees gave, and she fell to her knees in shock. "No… not Tyki! This is not happening!" She grasped the sides of her head.

Allen knelt next to Road and put his arms around her. "… Road, I'm sorry, but this is happening…"

"It's my fault!"

Debitto turned to her, eyes firey. "Yes, it is your fault. Do you want me to kill you too, or just Aleister? Stop blaming yourself unless you're prepared to deal with it!"

While Allen was trying to comfort Road, Debitto dragged Tyki's body out of the way and laid him next to Lavi as the most recent victim. "Goodbye, Tyki." he murmured. The teenager turned and headed out of the room.

Road looked after Debitto, her expression shocked. "Debitto, where are you going?! Stay with us! Please, you'll get killed!"

Debitto stopped, then turned and gave Road a cold glare. "That's the idea, or partially. If I can draw him out, then I can kill him. Don't get in my way." He turned and began walking away. "I'm tired of your pity-parties."

"Debitto, she's right! Don't endanger yourself; he'll just kill you off too!" Allen tried to persuade the seventeen year old. But, alas, Debitto was stubborn. He was already gone.

-

Aleister paced back and forth in one of the upstairs bedrooms. "I don't have much time." He murmured to himself, unable to deny how exhausting the activation of his Innocence was. "Now, they know where my Innocence is, and the Noahs can destroy it, even if I don't run out of strength." He paused, grasping his still-sore shoulder. He had managed to get it back in place, but use was still limited and painful. "That son of a bitch."

He headed for the door. _'I have to make my move now.'_

* * *

**Well, how was it? I hope its satisfying, moreso than it has been. Hm, sorry it's a little shorter than I wanted, but that's the best I can do for now. **

**One thing I noticed yesterday is that Mujaki's name, and somewhat Dakuto's, have meanings. O.o I just made up random syllables, putting a 'D' in Dakuto's and a 'J' in Mujaki's, to allude to Jasdebi. Anywhoo, I was reading the lyrics for Belphagor's character song, **_**Arashi no Ouji**_**, and noticed one word didn't have that annyoying red squiggle Microsoft Word likes so much. Mujaki. So, I look it up in my dictionary, and what do I know. It means "Innocent; blameless." Then, I try 'Dakuto'. The only thing I could find was 'Daku': hug or embrace. I jut thought that was so funny that they had meanings I didn't know… Sorry for rambling. ^.^'''**


	16. The Clutches of Despair

**DANG. I am **_**soooo**_** sorry for how long this took to come! I just started high school, those of you who've been there, so you know why I have had no life. Plus, once I finished writing it, I had to figure out when to **_**type**_** it. –Bangs head against wall.-**

**Also, in that (at one time) new chapter of -Man… WHAT THE HECK DID SHE (Hoshino-sensei) DO TO JASDEVI? More specifically, **_**JASDERO?!**_** Good grief! I didn't hardly even recognize my favorite character!**

… **I **_**do**_** like Wisely, though… xD**

**I don't own it.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: _Il Frizione della Disperare_**

**_The Clutches of Despair_**

**I have a rendezvous with Death**

**At some disputed barricade**

**When Spring comes back with rustling shade**

**And apple-blossoms fill the air-**

**I have a rendezvous with Death**

**When Spring brings back blue days and fair…**

**I to my pledged word am true**

**I shall not fail that rendezvous.**

**-Alan Seeger**

Debitto was walking down the hallway, trying to find Aleister. He peered into one dark room after another. _'Not a sign of him…'_

All of a sudden, the ground under his foot felt soft and rolled back slightly. "Shit!" Debitto cursed as he lost his footing. He agitatedly turned back to see what had caused him to do so, and froze.

On the floor, in the middle of the hallway, was a bloodied object. Despite it's torn and mangled condition, it was recognizable as a slender, gray-skinned arm. Shreds of neon-green-and-black cloth clung to it, identifying it as Dakuto's missing limb. Bile rose in Debitto's throat, and he jumped away from the arm.

"What the hell?" The teenager's eyes were wide.

"I see you've found Sisal's new toy." An eerie, all-too-familiar voice spoke from behind Debitto.

He turned, the voice alone sending chills up his spine. A few yards away was Aleister, kneeling beside the wolf and stroking its black, blood-splattered fur.

"I need to take care of you next, so I appreciate you helping me out." Aleister continued, rising to his feet. "Did you ever wonder what left the adorable little girl like she was? You're about to find out." He signaled to the wolf with a flick of his wrist, and it lunged at Debitto.

The Noah stumbled back, barely escaping Sisal's fierce teeth. He winced as the creature's claws raked his side and arm, and down his leg. Blood immediately began spilling from the wounds. Debitto broke into a run, dashing down the hall with the bloodthirsty wolf snapping at his heels.

Sisal leaped up again, this time catching Debitto's arm in his teeth. He mostly bit the sleeve, and as he pulled his teeth ripped gashes down the teen's arm.

Aleister turned and walked away, leaving the job to his 'pet'.

-

"Road… He was serious, wasn't he?" Allen looked at the Noah girl beside him.

She stood, wiping her face. "Yes, he was. I never doubted it." Road looked at her feet, then back up at Allen. "We need to go find him, before he gets hurt. At worst, the three of us together might have a chance." The two headed out the way Debitto had gone.

Suddenly, Allen froze. "Did you hear a door slam?"

"I think so… faintly." Her eyes were wide, worried. "You don't think…" Road trailed off, then broke into a run. Allen followed close behind. _'I'll have to trap Aleister in my dream world. It's the only way.' _

Road hurried ahead and up the stairs, disappearing from Allen's view. He stopped suddenly, and activated his Innocence. Someone was watching him. He spun around, arm raised and ready to attack.

Aleister smirked and let out a wry laugh. "So, you knew I was here. Bravo." He clapped mockingly, still being careful with his injured arm. His eyes narrowed. "But that's not going to help you now." The green-clad teenager materialized two blades into his hands, connected near one end. The device closely resembled a sadistic gardening tool.

The murderer struck first, only to pull back barely in time to dodge Allen's arm in a counter. The links on the chain clinked together as Aleister readjusted to attack again.

-

"Debitto?" Road looked through one of the upstairs rooms. She shook her head. "He's not in here, Allen." The Noah turned and walked out of the room. "… Allen?" She asked in surprise, looking up and down the hall. No sign of him.

The girl frowned. _'Where is he? Did he go ahead? Or…' _"Allen?" Road sped up and looked into a few of the other rooms in search of the exorcist.

Her pulse racing and breath quickening, Road turned and headed for the stairs in case he had stayed down there. "Allen?!"

Was that fighting she heard? Something downstairs crashed, then the sounds were cut off abruptly.

Road's eyes widened. "Oh no… _Allen!!_" She was hoping, praying, that his voice would call up, "I'm okay! I just tripped!" or something else that was so like him. But it didn't come. The Noah dashed down the stairs so fast that she nearly fell the whole way.

She froze, one hand on the banister. Her skirt swayed to the side at her sudden stop, then fell back to its normal position. Her golden eyes were wide with horror.

Blood. Blood was everywhere; fresh, sticky blood, the odor of which filled the room. Limp on the floor was Allen's body-with his head and left arm detached.

Road shrieked, stepping back in surprise. Her own tears filled her eyes and poured over her cheeks. "No, no, no, _no!_" she gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. The exorcist who could have become _hers… _

The girl rushed over to Allen's body. "Allen!" She fell to her knees in the pool of blood, and wrapped her arms around his still-warm corpse. Suddenly, cold chills rushed down her spine as she felt that she was being watched. Road turned around quickly to look behind her.

Nothing.

'_Am I being paranoid…? No… He could be anywhere.' _She turned back around, and jumped in surprise to see _him_ standing there, looking at her over the one he had just killed.

Aleister.

"Finally, it's only the two of us." He smirked. "How does it feel to have everyone you care about ripped away from you?" Blood ran down his face in a streak, barely missing his eye. Blood was splattered over him, both Allen's and his own.

"The two of us…?" Road's eyes widened even more when the large wolf, Sisal, came to Aleister's side. She gasped, seeing what he dropped at his master's feet. It was a good-sized, bloodied scrap of clothing- distinctly recognizable as part of Debitto's jacket.

Aleister grinned darkly when he saw the prize Sisal had brought. "Good boy, Sisal. You can show me where you left him when I finish." He turned back to the Noah girl. "My revenge is almost finished- your puny life is all that's left." The black haired teen approached Road. "Don't you regret that order you gave my brother? You can't take it back now; no matter how much you want to, there's nothing you can do about it! And this, all of this…" Aleister gestured vaguely to the blood everywhere. "It's all your fault."

Despair filled Road as the truth of those words pierced her. She looked up and met his icy blue gaze, and with grim determination did what she should have done long ago- caught the murderer into her dream world.

* * *

**Like I said, I just started high school. I'm in marching band, all-honors, church choir, etc… So I'm very sorry about the wait. I will be updating when I can, so don't give up on me!**

**And, for those of you who don't know... Jasdevi are now out in the English anime! Look it up! (If you use Gaiaonline, a link is in the most recent journal entry on my profile- Derosrabidfangirl)**


	17. Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

**Okay, here it is! The long awaited (at least by me) new chapter! Wewt. I'm sure you have all noticed, it's kinda drawing to a close… so sad. Oh well, its not over yet, so I hope you will stick with me through to the end.**

**I based Road's dream world kinda on the world shown in her fight with Lavi, but it IS different. I'm under the impression, in fact, that it's different every time. I could be wrong, though…**

**Still don't own it. ^.^**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Della Corvo Raggio, "Giammai Nuovamente"**

**Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore"**

"_**I'm the man that's used up,**_

_**Washed up,**_

_**Bricked up.**_

_**Descent into maelstrom**_

_**Bedlam**_

_**Redrum.**_

_**Bet the devil my head,**_

_**Misled**_

_**Bloodshed.**_

_**Heart under the floorboards **_

_**Beats for **_

_**Lenore**_

_**Nevermore."**_

**-Creature Feature, "Buried Alive"**

Aleister looked around, surprised to find his surroundings completely altered. A black sky stretched to the horizon, and the black-and-white checkered ground extended as far as his eyes could see.

"You have an interesting ability, Noah, but it won't help you." He spoke out to Road, not even knowing where she was.

Road emerged behind Aleister as a bulge in the ground, quickly transforming to her own self. "Why would you do all of this just for your brother?!" she asked, a pained expression on her face.

Aleister smirked and replied coolly, without turning. "Because he was precious to me. And you stole him away."

"But he died because of you."

The smirk on the murderer's face froze at Road's words. Within seconds, though, he countered her statement. "He was still here, thanks to my mother, if I'm not mistaken." He turned towards the Noah, slowly. "He was here, until you stepped in."

Road met his eyes with her own golden ones. "As a shell, maybe." She paused, then continued. "Is it worth ten lives just to avenge one? At the end, there will be eleven dead and none better off." Tears threatened her again, remembering just who those eleven would consist of.

"You deserve it."

"Would he have wanted it this way?"

All color drained from Aleister's face. He opened his mouth the say something, but shut it. Finally, he responded. "Of course." Aleister used his Innocence to create a knife in his hand, and leaped at Road, knocking her to the ground.

The girl's eyes widened in surprise at his quick action.

Aleister raised his knife to plunge it into Road's throat, but stopped when someone grabbed his arm from behind. "Who the hell-" he froze when he saw who was there. His grip on the knife loosened, and it barely missed its original target when it fell.

A smile tugged at Road's mouth, seeing by his reaction that she probably had a chance to end this once and for all.

A slender woman stood next to the two, with long, dark hair loose around her shoulders. She released Aleister's wrist and let her hand drop to her side. "Aleister…" Her voice had a ghostly echo to it.

Aleister's face was white. "You…" he stared, dumbfounded, at the person. No matter how much he knew it couldn't, _shouldn't_, be, he knew it was.

His mother.

"What… How did you…" he grasped for words. Aleister turned back to the girl he had pinned, then recoiled in shock at the all-too-familiar face from his childhood.

The black haired teen fell back, his eyes wide. "You're a witch! That's what all of you Noah's are!" Aleister was pale as he stared at the two specters from his past.

His mother reached down and helped the other person to his feet. The young boy's straight white bangs fell across his forehead.

"Stay the hell away from me!" Aleister spat, showing the shock he felt.

"Don't you miss us, Aleister?" His mother said, reaching for him.

"Why don't you like me anymore? I died saving you…" The child's eyes were big and pleading, his tone accusing.

Aleister turned quickly when he felt hands grabbing at his arm and shoulders. Many Leits stood around him, reaching for him, calling out to him.

---

The house was nearly silent. The wolf, created by Aleister's Innocence, had vanished. Road was still, cradling Allen to her and focusing intently on the events in her dream world. Aleister had fallen to his knees, a blank and distant look on his face.

In the kitchen, the cold, bloodied bodies had an air of finality about them. Death hung in the room like a thick cloud; an invisible yet oppressive vapor filling the air and reaching with her cold fingers into every corner. Right outside, the garnet blood soaking one corner was nearly dried.

Upstairs, flecks of blood speckled the carpet down the hallway, past three rooms smelling of blood. At the end of the hall was a door leading to the attic. Some blood had splattered on the door, and long, deep gashes disfigured the dark wood.

Tentatively, the knob turned, and the door swung open. Debitto stumbled out. He looked up and down the hall; listening to the silence until he was sure no one else was around. The Noah let out a sign of relief. The gashes down his arm and leg had stopped bleeding in the time he'd lain on the steps, hoping the wolf would leave- and not return with its master. What was left of his jacket lay on the steps, and blood stained the steps from the wounds the wolf had dealt him.

---

Road reached for Aleister as well, calling his name like the many visions of his brother that she had created. She knew that he couldn't tell her from the others, and that fact was what would allow her to win in the end.

But, ultimately, so much blood had been shed that it was impossible to truly win. Never again would the exorcists return home to their friends. Never again would Jasdebi be their obnoxious selves. Never again would Dakuto come to her, begging to try on her skirts. Never again would Mujaki look at her with his huge, innocent eyes- with a stolen cigarette in his mouth. Never again would Tyki give her hopeless "assistance" while smoking a cigarette akin to the ones Mujaki always had. Never again would he return to his human friends, and they would never find out about the "Joyd" side of him. Never again would she hear Allen's voice, see his smile, have a chance to be with him.

Never again.

Never again

Never again.

"_Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'"_

Aleister pulled away, eyes wide, from the small hands grasping at him. "Bitch! Where the hell did you go?!" His eyes raked all of the faces, all of them the same. _'She has to be there somewhere…!'_ he told himself. _'Unless…' _The murderer froze. _'Unless she's one of them.'_

He began to examine the faces carefully, trying not to flinch at the old, painful memories they brought to surface; searching for something setting one apart from the rest.

Arms wrapped around his neck suddenly, as one Leit climbed onto others to reach him. In that sickly sweet voice Aleister remembered so well, the white haired child said softly, "Don't worry. You won't ever be away from us again. Never, never, never~."

A knot twisted in Aleister's stomach, and alarm hit him full force. "So that's your plan…!" he murmured. At that second, many small hands grasped his arms and legs to hold him still. He winced as pain shot through the arm he had injured earlier. Then, he saw his mother, brandishing a slender silver spear.

She looked at him with large, sad eyes that sent pangs of familiarity coursing through him. "You won't ever hurt anyone again, Aleister."

* * *

**Ah, how was it? School is crazy now, I've had this ready for more than a month, but I haven't been able to type it until now! .**

**I hope you liked it though. And, before anyone shoots me for making them worry: Noah never cried for Debi. Road herself immediately began crying, but her tears were also coming for Allen. So there's my loophole.**

**I hope to upload again before Christmas, but in case I don't, here's an early Merry Christmas! I hope to upload a book of Carols, so please check that out. And I finished a story called Un Loved, those of you who may have read it. (If not, I hope you would read it and comment!) Thank you for putting up with a swamped freshman, please comment!**


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